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 On the morning of June 9, 2026, Salem’s mom found him lying on the floor of her home, crying and unable to get up. He was dragging his back right leg behind him. She thought it was broken.
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 Salem is a neutered male domestic shorthair, not quite two years old. Black as ink, gold-eyed, and until that morning, a completely normal, bouncy young cat.
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 She got him to San Benito Veterinary Center in Hollister right away. The news wasn’t a break — it was worse in some ways. The head of Salem’s femur, the ball at the top of the thigh bone that fits into the hip socket, is necrotic. The bone is dying. The joint is diseased, and every step he takes is painful.
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 The fix is a femoral head ostectomy (FHO). The surgeon removes the dead femoral head, and over the following weeks the leg muscles and scar tissue form a “false joint” that carries the leg comfortably. It’s a well-established surgery, and cats are the ideal patients for it — small, light, and athletic. Salem would run, jump, and climb again. If you’d like to read more about the procedure, VCA has a good plain-English explanation for cat owners here: <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/femoral-head-ostectomy-fho-in-cats" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/femoral-head-ostectomy-fho-in-cats</a>
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 Salem’s mom did everything she could. She got him in, got him diagnosed, and is paying out of pocket for his pain medication to keep him comfortable. But the surgery is beyond what she can manage. The estimate from San Benito Veterinary Center runs $1,732 to $1,977, and the clinic requires a deposit at the high end of the estimate before they will book the surgery date. That’s the wall she hit.
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 Babe’s Fund is stepping in to help her get over it.
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 Every dollar raised goes directly to San Benito Veterinary Center for Salem’s surgery, anesthesia, pain management, antibiotics, bloodwork, and post-operative care. Nothing is paid to Babe’s Fund. If we exceed the goal, the balance stays in the fund for the next animal in San Benito County facing the same impossible choice.
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 He’s a baby. He has a decade and a half of sunny windowsills ahead of him. He just needs one hip fixed first.
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 Please give what you can, and please share — the share is free and it works.
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He’s Only Two ~ Help Salem Walk Again

Still $1,045 to go. Help us build momentum.