If you don't know me, I'm Miriam. I'm a disabled stay at home mom to 2 amazing kids.

But let me tell you about my first baby(cat).

We brought Layla home on November 1, 2010. I had been begging my then boyfriend (Ray) for a cat forever. He finally gave in and we went to the Babylon Animal Shelter. As I was petting another cat and about to ask him what he thought of that cat, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around, Layla gave him a look, and that was it. She was ours.

Ray had never had a cat before so I let him know that she might hide from us as she gets used to her new home. Well, she made a liar out of me. She hopped right up on the couch with us to watch the Rangers game and snuggled with us that first night. So that was that, we had our first child.

I can't even count how many times this tiny little cat has been there for me. She's been with us through every single major life event we've had, good and bad. Shes purred against my pregnant belly, snuggled me through some of my darkest days... I'm really at a loss for words when I try to explain what she means to me.

Layla is 15 but has SO much life left in her. She still gets the zoomies, plays with paper balls, snuggles all the time, and continues to tolerate the human children in the house.

But her kidneys are failing.

We can help her and give her more years to come, but it's not cheap. I'm about to bring her to a 24 hour animal hospital because she needs IV fluids for a day or 2 to flush her little system out because her kidneys aren't doing what they should as best as they should. It's going to cost thousands of dollars that we just don't have. I don't know what else to do. I don't like to ask for help, with anything. But we need help. I hate asking, but I need to do anything and everything to give Layla the more years she deserves. I'm selfish, but I NEED her to have more years.

I hope if you've made it this far that what I've written makes any kind of sense to you. I just don't know what else to do.

If you can help out with a few dollars that would be amazing. And if you can't, that's ok too; just keep her in your prayers.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.