This fund is to keep Freddie pain-free and healthy in his senior years. Shortly after our friend Rosalind was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she lost her cat. She loved cats but felt she shouldn’t adopt another, given her illness. Rosalind reached out to The Cat Connection to foster, and Freddie became her challenge: a feral cat with significant health issues. Over time, he became less afraid and started to be a comfort, sleeping on Rosalind’s pillow through some pretty terrible nights. Although Freddie was officially a foster, Rosalind dearly wanted to make sure Freddie would have a wonderful life, as she told her friends early and often. Rosalind entered hospice in March 2024, and when she passed, we sought the perfect loving home that could meet his social and medical needs.

Freddie is an older cat with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, kidney disease, stress-induced urinary blockages, food and pollen allergies, IBD/lymphoma, corneal sensitivity, and arthritis. With his special diet and medications, he is like a new cat. It’s a thrill to see how well he is but the monthly expenses for his food, medicine, supplements, and litter are high. Just as an example, his special food has been costing $3.25 for a small can, two times a day. His medicines are expensive, and we estimate his basic care has been costing $450/month ($5,400/year).

Freddie is being cared for by Lauren Skeens, an expert vet tech, who volunteered to take Freddie as a long-term foster, provided his expenses were covered. She has cared for him, in consultation with Dr. Leavey at VCA, to get his treatments and care just right. Since May 1, 2024, she has given Freddie a caring, loving home and has made great strides. He now climbs, runs, and plays as well as cuddles and snuggles. He looks years younger. We are so grateful that Cat Connection continues to cover his vet visits.

We are so grateful to those who have already contributed to Freddie's care, and we hope you might be willing to contribute to the third year of his care. We are reaching out to cat lovers, to people who root for the underdog (cat), to those who knew Rosalind, and to the Arlington community in general, to ensure Freddie continues to thrive and receive the care he needs. Every contribution makes a difference for this beloved, medically complex cat boy. Thank you for supporting Freddie’s journey.

Rosalind wrote: “I’ve done many rewarding things in my life, but working with Freddie and seeing him blossom, this has been one of the best.”