It was 2014, I was at my lowest — I’d recently lost my dream job, gone through a devastating breakup, and had just undergone surgery for thyroid cancer. One day in June, a few days before my birthday, I dragged myself to the ASPCA hoping it would cheer me up. There, among the other visitors oohing and ahhing at the adorable balls of energy in the kitten room, something through the glass on the quiet side of the shelter caught my eye: it was the saddest-looking pretty white cat sitting alone like a proper queen in her cage. She had the most adorable three black dots along her side — an ellipsis, I thought — my favorite punctuation mark. Turns out she was almost 3 yrs old and had been there for the better part of a year. Her name was Peppermint and I knew immediately she was coming home with me!

It wasn’t long before the dark clouds parted, and I started feeling hope and joy again. Little by little I began to rebuild my life with her by my side. For the next twelve years, she would be my best friend, my family, my companion through everything. I poured my energy into making my home her home, and making sure she felt safe, loved, and happy. She flew on planes with me, came on work trips with me and to family holidays. She was by my side through the loss of my dad in 2017, through the pandemic and then through losing my mom in 2022. Giving her a good life has been one of my greatest sources of pride.

Unfortunately Pepps and I have hit a crisis point. We just found out Peppermint has a very damaged kidney that needs to be removed ASAP. It could be from an infection that never cleared up or something she was born with, but either way it is bringing down the function of her other healthy kidney every day it stays in her. With surgery, medication and specialized food, I’m told she can have many more comfortable healthy years ahead w her one good kidney, but only if we get the diseased one out asap. Of course I want to do this for her, but bcs it is a very complex surgery with a veterinary kidney specialist it runs about $7,000 including imaging, labs, meds and follow ups.   Also I have finally found a low phosphorus hydrating food (best for kidney issues) that she actually eats gusto, which is great but that alone costs nearly $6 a day. 

With my own health problems and having lost my health insurance recently, I simply cannot afford to cover all of this.

So, I’m setting aside my pride and asking for help because Peppermint deserves every chance. She saved my life once. Now I need to save hers. If you can help, I’d be so grateful. If you can share this, I’m grateful for that too.

I know in my heart Peppermint’s story isn’t over yet. She still has another chapter to live…