Hello,

I am a 25-year-old graduate student studying experimental psychology at RIT, soon to leave for Texas to pursue my doctorate in Addiction and Recovery Studies. I am the owner of two cats, Pesto and Sardine. I have had Pesto for 3 years, and she is my registered Emotional Support Animal. She was a rescue from the city of Roc, who was only 4 weeks old when I had her. I adopted her in 2022 when I was on a leave of absence. She has been my everything since. For those of you who have met Pesto, she is the most loving, angelic, and cuddly cat ever. In the beginning, she was bottle-fed after being taken in from the streets of Lyell Ave in the city with fleas and ear mites, and is now attached to me at the hip.

Three days before 3/24/2026, I found a spot on her head, only to go to the vet and get the call that she had a cancerous tumor. She is set for surgery to get it removed on 4/1/2026.

I will be paying for the surgery out of pocket, which is, as of now, set for $8,000. This does not include the cost of medications, as well as the $300 for the final test results. Since I will be paying out of pocket while in grad school, I am asking that, if possible, any type of donation, even if you are unable to donate, sharing the link to support Pesto's journey to recovery and procedure helps.