Hello, my name is Sarah. I never imagined I’d be writing this, but we’re reaching out because we’re scared for our beautiful boy, Dexter.

Dexter is our 14-15 year-old cat and he means the world to us. He’s gentle, loving, and has been part of our family for so long. Over recent weeks he’s been slowly losing weight, but on 5 February things suddenly became much worse. He developed constant diarrhoea and started vomiting. He ate a small amount later that evening, but he was sick again afterwards, and since then he has barely eaten at all. He’s had only two small yoghurt treats across two days. Watching him become so weak and lethargic has been heartbreaking, especially because he is already underweight.

We took Dexter to the vet on 6 February. They carried out blood tests and gave him an anti-sickness injection. Later that day we got the results and were told Dexter has hyperthyroidism. The vet also found he has dental problems, but they can’t be treated until his thyroid levels are more stable.

On 7 February we collected Dexter’s medication. Because the thyroid medication can cause nausea, the vet advised we start with an appetite stimulant first, so that he has the best chance of eating again. When he still wouldn’t eat and we were panicking about the practice closing and it being a Sunday, we phoned for urgent advice. Under their guidance, we picked up prescription recovery food and began syringe-feeding to get something into him. It has been incredibly stressful, but we felt we had no choice. Right now we’re waiting to see how he settles and hoping with everything we have that the appetite stimulant and medication will help him regain strength.

We’re fundraising because the costs are building quickly, and the total is still uncertain as Dexter needs ongoing treatment and monitoring. We do have insurance, but there is a £199 excess and we also have a 20 percent co-payment due to Dexter’s age, which still leaves us with a large amount to cover ourselves. In around a month, Dexter will need further blood tests to check how the thyroid medication is working and whether his dose needs adjusting. He will also need thyroid medication every day for the rest of his life, and once his condition is under control, he will need dental treatment too.

Any donations will go towards Dexter’s vet visits, blood tests, medications, prescription recovery food, and the dental work he will need when it is safe to do so. We will post updates as we go along, including bill details as they come in, and we’re happy to share invoices or receipts in updates with personal details removed.

This has come at a really difficult time for us financially. I’m currently awaiting medical procedures myself, and my partner is the only one working right now. We are doing everything we can, but we can’t do this alone.

If you’re able to donate, or even just share Dexter’s fundraiser, we would be so grateful. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for caring about our sweet boy.

With love,

Sarah, Mark and Dexter