Help with Tea’s Care Costs

My name is Sam. In 2020, I rescued an eight month old kitten from a kill shelter. I named her Tea, though she’s commonly referred to as Teapot. It took a while for Tea to become adjusted to a life surrounded by humans and other cats, but she fit right in. She quickly became a comfort in the darkest times, providing company during lockdown and emotional support through family losses. As Baby, my 18-year old Maine coon, became lonely, she gave him a friend. The two quickly bonded, and believe me, to this day, they still love each other. At the same time, she became my best friend too.

However, in 2023, I found a mass on Tea’s throat. She had no other symptoms at the time. She was taken to a vet where they suspected it was an infection. They drained the mass and she came home. It took a few more visits over the next year to fully clear the mass on her throat and drain it. As of July 2024, the mass was drained and she was clear. But now, March 2025, a new mass has appeared on the opposite side of her throat. This time, she’s struggling to breathe and she’s losing weight. As of the morning of March 10th, she went to her primary vet where they did scans to find fluid on her lungs. The scans revealed her lungs are no longer expanding fully, restricting her breathing. The vet proceeded to drain the mass on her throat, but the fluid was clear of infection. However, upon draining the fluid off her lungs, they found lymphocytes. The vet completed another scan to get a better look at her lungs and found a mass near her heart, potentially causing the fluid buildup around her lungs. At this time, the recommended course of action is to get her in with an oncologist to see what the next steps are. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to get her to a speciality doctor to provide proper diagnosis and treatment. With this in mind, I am looking to have a consult with an oncologist to determine next steps, or if it’s time to say goodbye.