Help Save Butternut: Urgent Medical Fund

I adopted Butternut shortly after I moved to DC in 2012. I didn’t know at the time but female orange cats are pretty rare, so much so that the shelter had her listed as a boy! She’s sweet, shy, and a little skittish, and such an amazing companion to me and her adoptive brother Thomas.

January was a hard month—I was laid off as a federal government contractor and have not had much luck finding a new position. I am preparing myself for the worst—that I will have to move back to my dad’s in NJ and leave DC, which has been my home for 13 years. I was hoping that I could sublet my place and bring Butternut with me while my roommate watched Thomas. It’s a devastating decision to have to make.

Butternut got a clean bill of health back in January—or so I thought. Despite normal bloodwork and weight gain (huge for a 12 year old cat) she became lethargic and stopped eating regularly over that last few days. The emergency vet took her for an ultrasound which revealed a mass on her intestines. At this point, her prognosis is tough but survivable—it may be something that can be surgically removed, it may be lymphoma requiring chemo. Whatever it is, I can’t afford it. The initial work up alone is $2500, before any treatment will be rendered. The vet has already let me know that either option will be at a minimum $10k and that the timeline to make a decision and start treatment is very short. Weeks, not months.

I’m looking for a miracle here. We’re only 2 months into 2025 and I feel like I’ve lost so much and about to lose more. Please help me save my girl.