From Octoplum

My precious baby Mishka, my whole world, is extremely ill. She has an aggressive nasal cavity abscess which has deteriorated the bone, potentially exposing her brain to the infection.

On May 2nd, she was attacked in our garden by a much larger, unneutered tom. He had her whole head in his mouth and left a deep puncture wound on top of her skull. Her entire head swelled up. Despite immediate treatment, an abscess formed that kept returning throughout multiple, concurrent courses of antibiotics. She stopped eating at one point, lost a third of her body weight (she's now just 2.2kg.) and became rapidly frail and more fragile. Multiple vets couldn’t explain why she was not recovering.

Last week, a CT scan revealed the massive abscess inside her nasal cavity, which has resulted in three areas of bone loss adjacent to her brain.

We're now awaiting test results so the surgeon can operate as safely as possible. She has explained that it's dangerous and delicate to work so close to the brain, and they won’t be able to remove all the infected bone. She’ll need months of antibiotics and complex aftercare. The infection may return, and the bone may never regrow.

It's scary and heartbreaking. 12 years ago, Mishka was abandoned outside a vet, matted and emaciated and squeezed into a carrier with another stressed cat. She has always been the most loving, angelic being despite this experience, but is terrified of carriers and of vets. Every vet visit is traumatic. She's the bravest, sweetest girl, and she's been through so much already.

So far, her care has cost over £8,000, and the operation will be around £6,000 more. After that comes an unknown quantity of checkups, medication and aftercare. They have warned us that the whole process may have to be repeated. After the initial £14,000 her care could potentially reach £20,000+ if the operation needs repeating.

We've been drawing on savings to cover this, but we realise ongoing treatment may outstrip our resources before we’re finished. Unfortunately, my own health issues have prevented me from working for the past few years. Also, we had cancelled Mishka’s premium insurance when they refused to pay a large bill (we claimed back via the Ombudsman). We were recently recommended a better one, and yes, we really wish we had been quicker. However, insurance limits do not often cover the sums Mishka will likely need in a one-year cycle, and unfortunately in our experience they sometimes decline valid claims. Additionally, we have always had to pay up-front and have therefore always needed these large sums available even with insurance.

Last year, 3.4 million people liked a post of Mishka that went viral, which showed off her natural mullet. We’ve never monetised her popularity and adorableness. We want to make clear that this is not the case here. We are hoping to safeguard her health at a very scary time, which has shaken us with the dangerous, hidden complications that can set in from a cat attack, and the overwhelming speed at which resulting fees can accrue. And we would do anything for this gorgeous, silly, funny, fluffy little fairy warrior princess who we love more than anything.

We have been very reluctant to reach out. We know not everybody is in a position to contribute to her care, but if you can and would like to, we and Mishka are deeply grateful. If you can't, sharing this page truly helps as much, and we appreciate you for caring and reading this far.

We'll post updates on her surgery and recovery here, so you can follow her progress.

She's small, but she's a fighter!

Love and Mishka snuggles,

Paloma, Mishka and family