Help us save our sweet Benji.

If you don’t already know me, my name is Tabatha. My partner, Roman, and I moved from Toronto to Santa Monica, California for a more relaxed life by the ocean. With us, we brought our beloved Russian Blur kitten, Benji. We got him from a reputable pedigree breeder in Scarborough, Ontario.

Benji is just six months old and has been with us for only two months. He was once a fun, curious, and playful little boy, always full of energy and love. But recently, he has become extremely sick—lethargic, weak, and not himself at all.

During the LA fires in January, we noticed a sudden change in his behavior. He started sleeping most of the day and night, barely playing, drinking little water, and hardly eating. He was never a big eater, preferring to eat half his food and save the rest for later, but this was different.

On January 13th, we rushed him to an emergency vet, where we were given a quote of $1,700 just for testing. The vet wasn’t overly concerned since he wasn’t vomiting or having bowel issues, so we agreed on an anti-nausea injection in his back leg instead, to help induce his appetite. We were told he might be sore and limp for a week.

Five weeks later, he was still not walking correctly. We took him back to the same vet, but they offered no answers.

Then, two days ago, Benji stopped eating completely—no wet food, no chicken, no treats. He also developed alarming symptoms:

• Difficulty balancing

• Itching at his ears

• Wobbliness, falling over when trying to walk or jump

• Inability to walk or use the litter box on his own

• Jerky eye movements and ear twitching

• Falling over when shaking his head

I immediately called another emergency vet and took him in right away.

On the way there, I believe he had a small seizure—his legs went stiff, he shook slightly, drooled, and his head/neck went limp.

At the vet, they stabilized him and ran X-rays, blood work, and an ultrasound. Everything came back normal except that he was underweight from not eating.

The vet suspects vestibular disease or a possible brain mass and recommended an MRI, a PCR test, and a spinal fluid test to investigate further. All resulting in an outstanding amount starting at $11,000 and could end up being $15,000.

We have pet insurance, but these two emergency visits have already maxed out our budget for the year.

I am desperate to find answers. My partner and I love Benji so much, and we don’t want him to suffer. We just want to do everything we can to help our sweet boy.