Hi everyone! My name is America. I am a young queer person currently taking care of a lovely pair of bonded cats: Bagheera and Shira. Bagheera is a sweet 10-year-old black cat that I took home from a Walmart parking lot when I was a teenager.

On Thursday, November 6th, Bagheera had a medical emergency. He experienced a urinary blockage, which required me to take him to a veterinary ER. I was told that I caught the urinary blockage just in time—had I arrived 24 hours later, Bagheera would have had a heart attack. They did a procedure to unblock him that same day.

However, that was not where the medical emergency ended: The ER team performed blood panels and x-rays on Bagheera to find out the underlying issue behind the blockage and discovered four bladder stones. The ER team recommended that Bagheera undergo an emergency surgery the following day to remove the bladder stones. If the bladder stones were not removed, then the likelihood of the blockage recurring in the following months was very high. I agreed to the surgery, which occurred on Friday, November 7th.

Bagheera thankfully took to the surgery well and has been at home recovering with me ever since. I am so grateful that he is feeling much better. He is not only one of my best friends; he is a precious family member who is so important to me. His health, well-being, and happiness are always my top priority.

With all of that said, I am humbly requesting for help with covering Bagheera's emergency medical bills. His bills totaled over $9200. This total does not account for follow-up veterinary visits, new urinary diet, and other future investments I will be making to Bagheera's urinary care to further improve his health.

At this time, I am is a 3rd grade Assistant Teacher. While I am passionate about the work I do, it does not finance me enough to cover these medical costs without causing me significant financial strain.

I know how the kindness of community members can go a long way. If you have anything that you can contribute—even a dollar—I would be so grateful. Every bit counts.

Thank you so much for supporting me and helping me take care of my little family! It means so much to me.