Help Us Bring Jack the Floof Home

Help Us Bring Jack the Floof Home

When Jack and Buffy were abandoned with us just over a year ago, we weren’t sure our hearts were ready for new cats so soon after losing our beloved CatBoss, Jackie. But as cats tend to do, they worked their quiet magic.

It took two weeks to coax Jack—a 20+ pound long-haired floof—from the closet he was hiding in. Eventually, he found comfort in the cozy hidey-hole we made for him under the bedside table. Buffy, his younger companion, a spry girl with a unique lobster claw paw (The Fancy Paw of Many Claws!), warmed up to us right away. Over time, Jack, our timid, gentle giant, began to trust us too. The two of them are clearly bonded and have become part of our family.

On Thursday, Jack was in visible distress, so we rushed him to Dove Lewis, our local emergency vet. After several hours and tests, we learned he had a bladder blockage—a serious and unfortunately common condition in male cats. It's painful, life-threatening, and not cheap to treat.

We were able to cover $4,000 upfront through CareCredit, but Jack’s condition has been more complicated than expected. He’s still passing crystals and blood in his urine as of Saturday, and his kidney levels are high. He’s had to stay longer, and they’re now recommending an ultrasound. The bill is now nearing $5,000, and it may go even higher depending on his recovery.

The good news: the procedure went well, and when we visited, even heavily sedated, Jack recognized us and purred when we pet him. He’s fighting, and we’re doing everything we can to support his recovery.

We’ve always believed in the magic of the “cat distribution system”—these animals come into our lives unexpectedly and bring so much joy, love, and companionship. We had some savings set aside for our Portland Button Works website redesign, but that’s now on hold. We’re not expecting GoFundMe to cover the full bill, but even $5 or $10 would help lighten the load and bring Jack home to Buffy, who misses him dearly.

Thank you for reading and supporting our big, fuzzy friend. It means the world to us. ❤️

Alex Wrekk, Paul Burke, & Buffy of the Fancy Paw of Many Claws

P.S. If you were thinking of ordering custom buttons from Portland Button Works or anything from our Spiral House catalog, now would be an excellent time to do it.