Smeemo is my lil boy. He's 2 years old, I adopted him from Austin Animal Center as a kitten, and he's been with me through everything since.

On October 21 he stopped eating and started vomiting. I took him to the vet on October 25, and his bloodwork showed his kidneys were under strain. On October 27 the specialist did a belly scan and found two things: a foreign body stuck in his small intestines, blocking them, and polycystic kidney disease in both kidneys, a kidney disease he was born with.

The doctors say surgery to remove the blockage will very likely be needed, but his kidneys and dehydration make anesthesia risky right now, and he is so dehydrated they could not safely draw blood to recheck his kidney values. Waiting risks the intestine bursting. The vet expects at least 5 days in the hospital. I am waiting on their call about timing, and I am scared.

He is still at the specialist now, and more charges are coming. I am paying for everything on my credit card as it comes in. The written estimate for 24 hours of hospitalization before surgery is $5,084.51 to $6,202.85, $6,385.83 with the card surcharge at the high end. The vet said the total could reach $11,000 to $15,000 if he needs surgery and intensive care.

Here is what I have been charged so far, $6,835.71 total:

- October 23, anti-nausea prescription (Cerenia): $39.30

- October 25, Vetco visit: exam $93.00, Spec fPL pancreatitis test $54.00, senior blood panel $256.00, materials fee $6.99, tax $0.58, total $410.57

- October 27, Pet Specialists of Austin: $1,557.79 deposit for testing and the first estimate, plus $4,828.05 deposit for the 24-hour hospitalization estimate, $6,385.84 total

I will post the invoices here as I get them.

I am a broke graduate student. I do not have $15,000. I am embarrassed to ask friends for money, and I hate asking, but I do not want to lose him.

Every dollar goes to his vet bills. If donations go over what his care ends up costing, I will donate what is left over. I will post updates here, including the final costs and how he is doing. Thank you for reading this, and for sharing it even if you cannot give.