Monday night (2/16/2026) within an hour, my cat went from sleeping peacefully to struggling to breathe, deep gashes with cuts all over, and a mouth full of blood. He was viciously attacked while he went outside to most likely use the bathroom as he normally does. When we brought him to the hospital, they said the trauma looked so bad he may have been hit by a car. They then pulled 70 mL of air from around his lungs with a needle between his ribs. The hospital describe in detail the possibilities of how to proceed. I stood there preparing myself to say goodbye because I didn’t know if I could afford to keep trying. Stace also suffers from epileptic seizures in which we’ve spent an embarrassing amount of money on as our pet insurance did not cover seizures/ epilepsy of any kind. He is family. He is our constant companion, our source of comfort, and the happiest, gentlest soul. He seriously means more to us than I wish a cat did. If you know us, you know him. My 20lb cat is a fighter and he will keep fighting as he recovers. He will need dental work, check-ups, more x-rays, blood work, etc. He’s home now doing perfectly - looking a little rough from swelling and a nice shave to make sure there were no hidden wounds. He will never be going outside again he only did in the first place because we found him as a stray.

I know some people believe situations like these “aren’t worth it.” We’ve already felt that. But every step we took was guided by the vet, and they truly believed he could make a full recovery. I was prepared to let him go if he was suffering or if the prognosis wasn’t good. I would never push him through more than he could handle. But this wasn’t that. This cat brings me so much happiness and he’s only 2 years old. I get so embarrassed asking for help but I need it. He is not just a pet. Your kindness and support would mean the world to us, and even more to Stace. We are forever grateful, no matter the donation size. It matters way more to us knowing others care about Stace, just as much as we do.