Syrah has been part of our family for almost eight years. I first met her at a Petco adoption event while picking up food for my other cat, Apollo. She was the runt of the litter, crying and staring at me until I couldn’t leave without her. Since that day, Syrah and Apollo have been inseparable. Syrah has always had a unique personality—she’s particular about how she’s held or petted, and her preferences change from day to day. Most evenings, I come home to find her waiting at the bay window. As soon as I sit down, she jumps up and gently taps my arm, asking for attention in her own quiet way.

Two weeks ago, Syrah suddenly stopped eating and began throwing up everything. At first, we thought it might be something minor, but when her symptoms didn’t improve, we took her to the vet. After some delays and little progress, we brought her to the pet ER. There, a scan revealed a mass in her chest. Thankfully, after a biopsy and bloodwork, the vets believe it’s non-cancerous, but it’s still causing her discomfort and needs to be removed.

Her surgery is scheduled for Thursday, and she’ll need to spend a few days in the hospital, followed by a couple of weeks of recovery at home. The costs for the surgery, hospital stay, and follow-up care are significant and came as a shock. Mary and I have been working hard to manage our own medical bills and financial responsibilities, so this unexpected expense is a real strain. We’re hoping to offset some of these costs so we can focus on helping Syrah recover and get back to her playful self with Apollo. Any support means the world to us and will go directly toward Syrah’s care and recovery.

update 9/28/25 Syrah has been have issues after her surgery that has kept her in the hospital for longer than hoped they are hoping to get the results back tomorrow of the mass in her chest. We appreciate you all for helping us. Hopefully we get her back to home in a couple days.