Help Us Escape an Arsonist and Care for our Cat

Amid the devastating LA fires, I came home one day to find the fire department and the police outside my apartment complex. Imagine the bolt of fear that went through me— the weather had been so dry, the winds so powerful, if there’d been an electrical fire, or if a fire started in one of the building’s clunky old dryers, it could devastate the whole structure.

Yet, when I got inside, there was a smell of smoke, but none visible.

Then I found out, there’d been an arson attempt on the building.

It wasn’t a random attack. It was the disgruntled boyfriend of an evicted tenant. He fled, and was not taken into custody, but, dear reader, I swear I’ve seen him three times since then, though he’s always covering his face. I live in fear of a second attempt.

Obviously, we have to move.

We are already in the process of securing a new living situation, but this brings us to our current dilemma:

In the midst of all this, our cat needs some veterinary care.

This is Lugosi, known as Lulu to his friends. He is without a doubt the most affectionate cat I’ve ever met. And have you ever pet a Sphynx? The texture is incredible. Unfortunately, he’s got some less-than incredible things going on.

Lugosi had a bad fall when he was a kitten, and had a cluster of seizures as a result. They were treated, and he was seizure-free for 6 months. Then he had another. Three months later, another. Two months later, another. Two weeks later I heard a noise and went running into the bathroom to find him panting in a puddle of his own drool. He needs medication, and vet visits to monitor his absorption of those meds. This will probably run us about $1000 in the short term.

Add to that this cyst on his lip. We don’t think it’s related to the seizures but it seems to be bothering him, and it appears to be growing. It needs to be excised, which will involve putting him under anesthesia. The estimate from the vet on that is $2400.

And then there’s the cost of moving.

For these reasons, we are setting a goal of $5000, to get us into a safer situation and to help Lulu stay healthy. We do have pet insurance, but they won’t cover everything, and if you have a pet you know that you have to pay up front and then submit a claim, and WAIT to find out whether the insurance will reimburse any of those costs. We simply can’t afford those upfront payments. My partner had surgery a few weeks ago, and has been out of work because of that. That’s put a dent in our income. Additionally, he had to call out of work for several days before the surgery because his parents’ house was affected by the fires, and they needed his help. To put it mildly, we’re struggling a bit.

Anything you can spare helps us care for our little guy. He’s going to be a year old on March 3, and we’d love to give him a happy, healthy birthday.

We thank you deeply for your aid.