Help us save our 7-month old kitten Jasper

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Meet our little boy, Jasper—a Costa Rican kitty who was rescued at the age of approximately, 4-weeks old, in April 2022, from Puerto Viejo, Limon, Costa Rica. He’s been blessed with a beautiful life here in Toronto, Canada— with family and friends who love him.

If you’ve had the opportunity to meet Jasper, you know he’s the most curious and playful kitty there is. Much like a Dog, he loves to cuddle throughout the night into the early AM and you can depend on him to bring light to your day and a smile to your face, no matter how busy or overwhelmed you are. His spunky and charismatic personality always keeps us laughing. He is a source of pure love and joy and is always looking for the next kiss. He loves human interaction and especially enjoys playing with his feline neighbours—whom he calls out to on our balcony throughout the day.

On Wednesday, October 18th, we noticed unusual behaviour from Jasper—he wasn’t himself, he was squatting all over the house, trying to pee, but nothing would come out. He was crying in pain, like we’ve never heard before. When you tried to comfort him, he would scream. There was vomit on the floor and his food/water was left untouched. His bladder was firm and unexpressable. He walked himself to the dark washroom and rested on the rug. We immediately took him to the local veterinary emergency clinic and on a worst come, first serve basis—they declared it an urgent, life-threatening emergency.

The doctor examined him and shortly after, diagnosed him with a Urethral obstruction, which is very unusual for a kitten his age. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate attention. A urinary catheter was used to resolve the obstruction (that felt like gritty sand material) and allow urine to flow again. Although Jasper was extremely dehydrated, his electrolyte levels looked fine and he was given medication in hospital. An abdominal x-ray did not show evidence of bladder stones. However, there are stones that are not visible on x-ray (only ultrasound). A urinalysis and blood test was submitted and results were pending—Jasper was sent home later that night and was declared an outpatient with careful monitoring at home.

The moment he got home, he ran to his water bowl and drank like he’s never seen water before. We then comforted him in our arms as he closed his eyes and purred. Eventually, he made his way to his litter and stood there for hours, struggling to pee, until he eventually fell asleep. We took him to his bed, but he persisted and made his way back to the litter. Confused and still unable to pee, we found him sleeping in his litter that morning, with traces of blood left behind.

We immediately called emergency and explained to them the continuing symptoms. They told us to bring him in for another examination, so we did.

Blood results came back and it was seen that his kidneys were not in a healthy standing, as the clogged bladder added pressure to them, which needed to be relieved. His bladder remained full and tight, and the only option left was to have him hospitalized and looked after to ensure survival.

Jasper is currently in great hands with the team at VEC (Veterinary Emergency Clinic), he is being given intravenous fluids and catheterization for the next few days to treat his Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), along with another procedure to ensure his kidney’s come back to a healthy standing and reduce the risk of future kidney damage.

It’s been an emotional and financially stressful time, as this came out of left field. Our home is simply not the same without him—he has so much more life to live, we needed to do the right thing.

The current vet fee’s are extremely high and sit at an estimated $6,222.00 CAD, which is not feasible for us to take on alone—especially not with the long-term dietary supplements and veterinary visits needed to keep him healthy and reduce the risk of future obstruction.

If you feel called to help Jasper, we truly do appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.

Any little bit helps, even simply exchanging the value of your morning coffee.

If you are unable to donate, sharing this GoFundMe link is just as impactful and appreciated.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Celina & Matthew

❤️