Hi everyone,

I don’t usually ask for help on financial matters, but I really need it this time. My cat Oliver started vomiting this morning, and there was an alarming amount of blood in his stool. He was also acting unusually tired and withdrawn, which is unlike him. I took him to the vet right away.

They found he had a fever, was bleeding from his gums, and had an unusually low heart rate, on top of the vomiting and bloody stool. They ran a series of tests for gastrointestinal issues, red blood cell abnormalities (including possible exposure to rat poison), liver problems, and heartworms. He also received an antibiotic injection and medication he’ll need to take for the next two weeks.

I am still waiting on the full panel results, but the visit and tests alone have already been more expensive that I could have imagined. My pet insurance doesn’t activate for another two weeks, and it won’t cover these diagnostic costs. If anything worsens after that, insurance should help — but for now, the upfront costs are a lot to handle on my own.

For context, I’m financially independent, supporting myself fully in New York City. I work full time and take on side jobs when I can, but a sudden expense like this can throw things off quickly.

Any contribution — no matter the amount — would help me cover Oliver’s care and ease some of the financial stress. Thank you for reading and for any support you can give, it means a lot to me.

— Adriana