Help Olya and Mushka Pay the Vet Bills and Get Healthy ❤️

Hi! I’m Olya, and this is my beloved cat, Mouse. (Most of the time he goes by his Ukrainian name, Mushka, which translates to, you guessed it, Little Mouse. :))

Mushka and I are asking for your help to cover the cost of his eye surgery.

I’ve been Mushka’s “human Mama” for almost 5 years now! Mushka lives up to his name. He’s incredibly sweet-natured and sensitive, and most accurately, he’s as quiet as a mouse :) Mush rarely meows to communicate. Instead, he sits quietly in your vicinity, waiting for you to notice his nonverbal request. The long and furry hair between his toes makes him impossible to hear, convincing you that he floats around the apartment rather than walks.

Mushka is a magical little being who came into my life at a really difficult time. We’ve been taking care of each other ever since.

Recently, Mushka developed a serious condition in his right eye that was causing him considerable pain, impacting his vision, and needed urgent treatment. We tried the first-line procedure that was slightly more affordable (but also with a lower chance of resolving the issue completely.) When it became obvious that this first procedure didn’t work and Mushka’s eye was rapidly getting worse, I made the choice to proceed with the only next available option: surgery on his right eye (Corneoconjunctival transposition) that cost $6000 dollars.

Mushka is so important to me, and I’m committed to doing what I can to give him the care he needs, but right now I need some help to be able to afford that care.

I’m a registered maternity nurse, and helping deliver babies was a job I found incredibly rewarding. I have also been living with Multiple Sclerosis for 13 years. When my MS worsened considerably some years ago, an extended medical leave turned into long-term disability support, which significantly limited both my capacity to work and my income stability.

In the last six months my disease has progressed and has resulted in more serious symptoms and disability. This has put an incredible strain on my physical functioning, mental capacity, and financial stability.

This vet bill (and Mushka’s new prescriptions), comes at a time when I feel the most vulnerable with my health and capacity. With both of us in such vulnerable places, I realize that I need help from my community in order to meet/absorb the unexpected emergency expenses.

I believe in community care and I know that having a broad support system encourages my resilience. I also value privacy and solitude, and I often struggle to ask for help. Sometimes protecting my privacy (and also my ego) can be isolating and can leave me feeling inauthentic and disconnected from others.

And so, this time I’m daring to do the hard and brave thing and ask for help.

Mushka has, thankfully, gotten through the worst of things and is healing well. But dealing with his treatment, surgical complication, extended recovery, diet, and on-going prescriptions by myself has been very difficult financially and emotionally.

Whether you have met Mushka before, or you’re a fellow animal-loving compassionate human, we would both appreciate your support.

I would love for Mush and I to keep companioning each other in life. And I’d love for him to be able to continue to chase moths and sit on the balcony in the evenings, watching seagulls and enjoying the sunset.

Thank you for reading and taking the time to hear our story. We’re grateful for you. Any small donation or sharing of this campaign would be so deeply appreciated.