My name is Talyah, and I’m reaching out during one of the hardest times I’ve ever faced. At the start of January, I had to say goodbye to my beloved cat Kira after 23 years together. I was still grieving her loss when, less than three weeks later, my other cat T'Challa suddenly began vomiting uncontrollably. I rushed him to the vet, but they were overwhelmed with emergencies and sent me to an overnight clinic. The emergency clinic stabilized him, but couldn’t figure out what was wrong, so he was kept comfortable until morning.

Back at my regular vet, they determined T'Challa needed emergency surgery for a possible obstruction. The situation was even more dire because he had gone septic overnight and was too weak for anesthesia. After hours of fluids and antibiotics, they finally performed the surgery and discovered he had intestinal torsion—a rare and life-threatening condition not caused by anything he ate or did. The surgery was risky, and his recovery required intensive monitoring and hospitalization, with only a 50% chance of survival. The hardest part wasn’t just the surgery, but the days after, waiting to see if his intestines would heal or fail. Now, in recovery, he’s spiking a fever and his survival is still very uncertain, so he likely needs more continued intensive medical monitoring.

T'Challa and his sister Shuri have been a bonded pair since birth. I adopted them seven years ago, and they’ve been my family and support system ever since. Coming home to see them grooming each other and sleeping together always brings me comfort, and it’s clear how much they need each other, especially now. Losing Kira was devastating, and I can’t imagine losing T'Challa too—or what his sister would do without him. The vet bills from the emergency clinic, surgery, and ongoing hospitalization have already reached thousands of dollars, and the costs keep piling up. I live alone, far from family, and these two are my world. I’m asking for help to give T'Challa the best chance at recovery and to keep our little family together. With overnight stays at about $1,500, daytime hospitalization about $500, it can be about $4,000 for a low estimate for 48 hours of hospitalization total, and that does not include any medication or Urgent Care intervention. Any support you can offer means everything to me and my pets who are my whole world. Thank you for caring.