Howdy everyone, I hope you’ll bear with me for a second so I can tell you about my best friend and what’s been troubling her lately. This is Calliope, or as I affectionately refer to her as- Miss Pìpì. We’ve shared five beautiful years together and in that time, she has completely turned my world upside down. I’d always wanted a fur baby and in the height of the pandemic, amidst all the chaos and tragedy, I finally managed to get my very own bundle of joy. My Calliope. My everything.

I’d hoped she’d lead a long and healthy life, but around the beginning of 2025 Miss Pìpì was diagnosed with a low grade heart murmur. Then in February of 2025, she suffered her very first involuntary sustained muscle contraction. Initially I assumed they were seizures, episodes that typically last about 3 minutes, in which she seems to contract in on herself and is unable to move until the episode is over. She’s had one episode roughly every month since and neither her general vet, or the ER, has had any answers for me.

After doing some research (and crying a whole lot) I think Calliope might be suffering from Paroxysmal Dyskinesia. Paroxysmal Dyskinesia is a neurological disorder and based on the estimate the specialty clinic gave me, the cost of a neurologist consult ($245), plus the cost of an MRI ($4,500) runs somewhere close to around $5,000 (NOT including the cost of other tests and diagnostics).

After Calliope developed a slight cough (which I was concerned may be heart related, given that my vet couldn’t explain them) I took her to the cardiologist January 7th, 2026 and she was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This visit wiped me out of the last of my funds for her care. I am working hard to cover the costs of her neuro, but unfortunately, I just don’t have enough funds. Miss Pìpì’s condition does not seem to be improving, and I’m anxious to get her diagnosed and treated now, rather than at some point down the line when it might be too late.

With that being said, I’ve finally mustered up the courage to ask you for your help. If you have anything to spare, anything at all, I would be immensely grateful for your donation.

Please help me figure out what’s wrong with my best friend. Thank you for sticking around and reading this. Thank you for caring and thank you for your help- it means more to me than words can possibly express .