Help Tennessee Breathe Easy Again

Help me cover Tennessee's vet bills. Full story below:

"Tennessee is a very special cat

a magical little creature

walking this Earth spreading love and joy

to everyone he touches

making the world a softer place

one person at a time

Sometimes I wonder,

is this a cat, or an angel?

Holding him is like hugging

the softest, most comforting teddy bear

a teddy bear with a tiny little heart that beats,

and tiny lungs that breathe,

and a little body that yearns,

and a spacious soul that loves

He is Unconditional Love embodied

unconditional Love personified

But his tiny little lungs that breathe started wheezing

and his tiny little heart that beats, beats unevenly

and his little body that yearns, also coughs and coughs and coughs..."

....

I wasn't looking for a cat, when Tennessee came into my life.

I was too busy trying to keep up with the rising cost of living, as a full time independent artist.

Tennessee was one of many stray cats in my neighborhood. He was the friendliest of them all.

A beloved figure among all my neighbors--almost everyone on my block has a story about Tennessee.

One day when I was in grief, he walked right up to me and sat on my lap.

That was the beginning of a deep and lasting bond.

Everyday I would walk outside, and he would find me. He would sit with me, or try to follow me everywhere I would go.

This went on for 3 months--I was happy to just spend time with him outside,

I didn't think I could take on the commitment and financial responsibility of having a cat.

But eventually, he was trapped to be neutered and released,

But when I inquired at the shelter about his release, they told me he was too friendly, too domesticated, and needed a home.

After 3 months of seeing him outside everyday, I could not bear the thought of not seeing him again.

So I decided to adopt him.

Since adopting him, he has been an indoor-only cat, and he is very happy to have a home.

He has made my life so much happier as well, and I am so glad that we have been able to keep him in the neighborhood.

However...

Tennessee is FIV-positive. Being immunocompromised makes him very susceptible to any illness, and his recovery difficult and slow.

Since his time at the shelter, he has needed:

>> antibiotics due to his gums not healing from dental work/extractions he got done at the shelter

>> probiotics

>> blood work

>> regular vet visits and exams

More recently, he got very sick. He was coughing multiple times a day, culminating in a day where he started throwing up and could not keep any food down. As a result, he needed:

>> emergency vet visit

>> chest x-rays and ultrasound

>> IV fluids

>> antibiotics for his diagnosed pneumonia

>> probiotics

>> vet specialist visit (cardiologist)

As a result, I am now over $4,000 in the red just from these vet costs so far, and he still has other issues that I have not been able to look further into yet due to the high costs (over $1,200).

Unfortunately, there is no way I can just come up with that much money on my own. As an independent artist I do not have a steady paycheck, and all the money I make goes into my business and life expenses. Additionally, my rent just went up and my car is breaking down and needs to be traded in as soon as possible.

I've never asked for financial help before, but Tennessee desperately needs it. I don't want money to be a factor on whether or not he is getting the diagnoses and treatments he needs. Tennessee deserves to be healthy, and to live a long, happy life. Everyone who knows Tennessee deserves to have him as long as possible in their lives.

No amount is too small. Please donate what you can, and/or share with your animal-loving friends