Pocket Needs Eye Surgery

I adopted Pocket six years ago from a local cat rescue in my area. I had been searching for a cat to adopt, and was contacted about a tiny white and tabby-spotted goofy-looking string bean.

Our first meeting was absolutely not love at first sight! In fact, I thought Pocket was actually kind of a jerk. While I was peering at his little face, he stretched up and bit me on the nose!! No thanks! So I went home without him.

The next day the shelter called again. They had a roly-poly brown tabby kitten who was afraid of everything, who they wanted me to meet. I met the sphere shaped kitten and fell in love. 

On my way out, I visited the little, white string bean again. I held him up and asked, "Do you remember me?" He leaned in and licked me on the nose right where he had bit me the day before. 

Who was I to turn down that kind of charm?? And they say two cats are better than one. String bean became Pocket and roly-poly became Albie. 

We've been doing pretty well, just the three of us. But in December 2020, Pocket developed an abscess on his back, which burst. He had a massive open wound on his back, and my vet was certain he would need surgery. But we received a Christmas miracle, and Pocket's back healed in just one month! I thought we were so fortunate to get through that without him needing surgery.

But not too long after that, starting in March, I noticed that Pocket's eyes were getting really crusty. He has always had allergies, but this was different. I took him to the vet, who said that Pocket had ulcers on his eyes that were only visible under black light. Within days, however, dark brown spots had developed on Pocket's eyes. The vet called them sequestrum.

Sequestrum are basically scabs that can form on a cat's eye. They can be very painful. My vet said there was a 50% chance Pocket's sequestrum would "slough off" on their own, but if they didn't, he would need surgery or risk needing to have his eyes removed.

In hopes of avoiding surgery, I've been putting lubricating drops in Pocket's eyes 3-4 times a day for the past two months (he's been such a champ!). By April, however, Pocket's eyes looked cloudy and red around the sequestrum. So I called a veterinary ophthalmologist.

It took us a month to get an appointment, me worrying the whole time that I had waited too long and that Pocket was going to lose his eyes.  Pocket developed a red growth ever the brown was on his right eye, and I was convinced he was going to lose at least one eye, and it would be my fault for not getting him help sooner.

But when we finally saw the ophthalmologist, it was (relatively) good news! The red on Pocket's right eye was a good thing! He had healed the sequestrum on that eye all by himself! That just left the sequestrum on his left eye. Except the doctor had more news.

Pocket has a genetic defect called Entropion. Entropion is an eyelid disease that causes his lower lids to curl into his eyes. Because his lower eyelids have fur on them, the Entropion causes his fur to rake over his eyes every time he blinks. That's what caused his original ulcers. If he does not have the Entropion fixed, the fur will ulcerate his eyes again, which would cause more painful sequestrum. The more sequestrum he has, the likelier it is that one or both of his eyes could become perforated.

So, Pocket needs eye surgery. He has to be put under general anesthesia. He needs to have the sequestrum removed from his left eye using micro-surgical tools that a ophthalmologist has to be specially trained at using. While she is removing the sequestrum, the doctor will correct the Entropion.

This procedure is going to cost $5,461. 

His appointment with the ophthalmologist already cost $683.

I just cannot afford to pay for this surgery on my own. My credit score is bad enough that Care Credit is probably not really an option without a co-signer. 

Beyond the price of the surgery, Pocket and I are facing costs for followup ophthalmologist appointments and potentially needing more medicine for his eyes in the future.

So far, we have seen such generosity from donors! We used donations to pay for his $683 ophthalmologist appointment, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am that people have stepped up for Pocket and myself. It feels horrible to ask for more, but Pocket and I still need help. 

This cat is my baby. I want to do everything I can to ensure that he lives a long, happy, healthy life. If you can find it in your heart to donate, you'll be helping me to do that. 

Pocket and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to read our story and for any help you can give us.