2016 was the year a tiny little kitten appeared on the deck of our apartment in New Orleans. After a week of constant feedings, she followed me inside and never left. We named her Arya. She was small, fierce, and took no crap from her two older brothers. She has always loved being outside and thrives on hunting and sunbathing. Oh, and we cannot forget dust baths. Arya is now 9 years old.

In March of this year, we noticed she was dropping weight drastically and chalked it up to heat. Then she started smacking her mouth and lips, which I thought was due to stress. Arya began wasting away but still wanted to go outside. She wanted to hunt, sunbathe, and taunt the squirrels... never in a million years did we think she was sick.

We took Arya to the vet because she wasn't eating at all. The vet showed me her mouth and throat; it was extremely swollen. We were informed she had an autoimmune disorder and developed an allergy to the plaque on her teeth. They tried steroids and antibiotics, but Arya has been unresponsive to this.

The only course of action with this disorder is to remove her teeth. The vet says it will increase her quality of life, and she will lead a normal lifestyle once she heals.

The surgery will cost around $4000, not including any follow-up appointments she will have afterward. We are not in a place financially that we can manage on our own, and putting Arya down is out of the question. She is our little girl and a part of our family. Anything you can do to help would go to supporting her through this surgery and transition in her senior years.