I’m Syd, and this is my amazing cat Stormy!

Stormy found me on August 8, 2022 as a starving, terrified stray who made his way into the crawl space under my apartment. After three days of feeding him, he finally let me pet him — and the rest is history.

Stormy came to me with feline HIV (FIV+). While not transferable to humans, it’s the exact same disease as HIV, which means his immune system is compromised. Here’s the nitty-gritty:

• FIV cats almost always have severely infected teeth and gums

• The inflammation from dental disease can make their entire body chronically inflamed

• A full dental extraction (removing all his teeth) WILL SAVE HIS LIFE by stopping the inflammation that’s harming him from the inside out

Because I haven’t been able to afford the surgery, Stormy has slowly become sicker over the last 3.5 years. He’s now in kidney failure, his back legs are weakening (a sign of kidney disease), he’s lost a lot of weight, and he’s in chronic pain from his infected mouth.

At this point, Stormy’s mouth is so bad that his regular vet highly suggests I go to a vet dental specialist for the surgery for greater odds of everything going well. It’s much more expensive, but very worth it to have his body be under the least amount of strain from the highest quality professionals in the industry.

I’m still broke, to the point where I wouldn’t even be able to get Care credit or any credit for his surgery. But I can’t continue to sacrifice his health by refusing to ask for help, support, and community of cat lovers now.

Right now, I’m exploring temporarily fostering Stormy with someone calm, loving, and experienced with pets. This would allow him to stay safe and cared for while I figure out my housing and finances, possibly living rent-free or finding a place where I can recover without stressing him out.

Any support — whether it’s donations, sharing his story, or helping with temporary care — would be so welcomed. I’m excited to share Stormy with the world while he is here because he’s truly the most loving little guy and deserves better.

Thank you so much.

Sydney