My name is Katherine. I'm 1 year out of veterinary school working as a rotating intern at a local specialty and emergency small animal hospital, and I need help getting my sister's beloved cat, Ari, to my sister on Guam.

My sister, a devoted military wife, and Ari were tragically separated 3 years ago when my sister's husband was stationed in Japan because the mandatory quarantine of 6 months would have killed Ari.

Ari has severe separation anxiety that causes a flare of inflammatory bowel like symtoms (severe and profuse vomiting to the point of blood) and she refuses to eat in a hospital or boarding kennel environment. Because of this, my sister made the impossible but necessary choice for me to take in her cat until her family was stationed somewhere they could safely reunite with Ari.

After 3 long years of pictures, video calls and love sent in the form of food and litter shipped to Ari, my sister and her family are stationed in Guam where there is an option for in-home quarantine and airport release meaning Ari won't need to go into a quarantine kennel and can reunite with her mom so long as she meets very specific requirements.

Thankfully, she does and we are very excited to get her home with her family. This process has been incredibly expensive to get to this point and the most expensive portion is yet to come. Ari's plane tickets to Guam and the airport examination with release are going to come to a grand total of close to $1,200.

My sister has paid all she can into this endeavor, but she and her family have been struck with financial hardships of their own and they are struggling to help come up with the remaining money we need to get Ari home where she belongs.

An intern's salary is already laughably below the poverty line and while I had been saving for this, unfortunately, I have run into harships as well.

After already needing to replace my vehicle twice in the past year (once for striking a deer, then again barely a month after because I was initially sold a lemon vehicle as a replacement), attend rehabilitation for injuries from the initial car accident, and move, my own beloved cat, Katsuki, got attacked by a housemate dog while protecting Ari.

This resulted in emergency hospitalization and dental surgery where he had to have all his upper teeth on the right side removed. He also now suffers from facial nerve and trigeminal nerve paralysis that has lead to the development of an ulcer on his right eye because he can't blink consistently to keep it moist. He has had to see an ophthalmologist for his eye and is receiving laser and acupuncture treatments at a rehabilitation clinic to try and heal the nerves in his face so he can keep his eye.

His emergency bills were well over $4,000 even with my veterinary professionals discount and his follow-up and continued care is quickly adding up as well. Thankfully, his insurance covered $2,000, but the remaining $2,000 is still significantly more than I have after moving once and recently finding out I need to move again due to hazardous living conditions.

My biggest cry for help is for my sister and her cat Ari. These two share such an amazing and special bond and they've been apart long enough. Ari is 13 years old and deserves to live her golden years with her beloved human who raised her from kitten-hood.

Any and all donations will be allocated to getting Ari to Guam FIRST. After that, if enough is raised, they will go towards Katsuki's emergency medical bills.

If any funds exceed my sister and Ari's Guam reunion and Katsuki's emergency medical bills, they will be donated to emergency veterinary hospitals in the Twin Cities area to go towards helping other people who may not be able to afford emergency medical care because we all deserve that fighting chance for one more good moment with our family.