Gouda’s apartment fall recovery fund

As many of you know, Gouda, my sweet long haired tabby mix has been through a lot with me. You’ve heard about me gush about her and what she means to me for the last 9 years. But I’m going to tell you more about her because she really needs your help right now after falling out of our apartment window.



I adopted her as a college student. My grandmother called to say there was a litter of kittens in her Virginia backyard and she knew I couldn’t resist a feline friend to keep me company through my years of nursing school. Gouda snuggled me through studying for exams, to graduation where after we moved to live with my family in Maryland. She sat by my side as I got my nursing license to start my career and was my travel companion once again as we followed my high school sweetheart to Savannah, Georgia.

She’s now traveled all the way to Portland, Oregon where we live in a small apartment on the third floor together with my husband and his cat Spanky. She spends her days trying to soak up any speck of sunshine the pacific northwest has to offer. Lounging in corners next to house plants and cacti. Admiring the flowers I bring home to arrange into vases. Wrestling her housemate Spanky. But her favorite activity is lounging by the kitchen window watching the birds and bees fly by. 












This Mother’s Day was a sunny spring day and we had the windows cracked open. That’s when the fall happened. We heard a scrambling noise, a shriek and then crying down below. My heart immediately shattered into a million pieces when I found her laying on the concrete steps 3 floors below us, bleeding, shaking and crying in pain. We scooped her into a bath robe and took her to the closest emergency vet open late on Sundays.

Her injuries included multiple pelvic fractures, fractured jawline, and broken canine teeth that will need to be surgically removed. She underwent STAT x-rays, blood tests, IV drip medications, numerous surgery consults and frequent ICU monitoring for 3 days.  The unexpected emergency vet bills are up to $4,000 right now. This is without surgery involved. Once she is hopefully healed by pelvic rest she will need more x-rays of her face and teeth to have dental surgery performed adding to the financial burden.



This is normally not something I would consider doing, or asking for. I am a compassionate, caring nurse and always a giving person but I love my first baby, she is my family, and an emergency visit with surgery I cannot afford to pay all at once. Right now I am off of work for a foot injury I too might need surgery for. Both Gouda and I had x-rays and orthopedic surgeon consults this past monday, talk about two peas in a pod. 





It would mean a lot for any donation. The price of skipping coffee today and donating $5, to remembering how much your animal loves a $10 soft blanket to the $70 puppy crate to keep her confined and safe. It feels vulnerable to ask for help and I admit I’m crying as I type this, but from the bottom of your animal loving heart it would mean so much to help keep our gouda girl healed and healthy. Thank you in advance for any help that we receive to help Gouda.