We’re James and Emily, and our cats have been at the heart of our family. We recently lost our oldest cat, Kibby, leaving both us and his companion, Albus, heartbroken. When we welcomed Rizzo into our home only 2 weeks ago, he felt like the perfect little guy to carry Kibby’s legacy forward, to continue the love and companionship Kibby brought into our lives. Now, only a short time after finding him, our four-month-old baby is fighting for his life.

Rizzo developed a severe infection that caused life-threatening anemia and critically low blood sugar. He is currently in the ICU receiving continuous glucose, IV antibiotics, fluids and round-the-clock monitoring. He has also needed a blood transfusion.

Rizzo is now more alert, hungry and responsive, and his doctor remains hopeful. However, his blood sugar is still difficult to stabilize, and he may need additional days in intensive care while the antibiotics fight the infection. He is a sweet, hungry and determined little boy who deserves the opportunity to grow up.

We have already used the full $2,400 available through our pet insurance, and we are contributing additional funds of our own toward Rizzo’s care. Because we do not yet know exactly how many days of intensive care, testing and follow-up treatment he will need, we have set our goal at $5,000 to help us prepare for those continuing expenses. We will keep contributing everything we reasonably can ourselves, and every donation, no matter the amount, will help us continue giving Rizzo his chance to recover.

We hate asking for help, but Rizzo is only a baby and we have to give him every reasonable chance. Any donation or share would mean more to our family than we can say.