Hi friends, family, and kind strangers,

My name is Linzy, and I'm reaching out to ask for support with vet costs for my pets, specifically my sweet 4-year-old cat, Phoebe, in the middle of what's been a really hard year.

Over the last few weeks, I've observed hair loss near the base of her tail as well as bumps/scabs on the skin, both of which are some of the main signs of a flea infestation. If you're unfamiliar, fleas left untreated can lead to serious health conditions, such as anemia, tapeworm infections, disease transmissions, and secondary infections from skin damage.

In order to treat fleas, vets generally recommend 6 months minimum of flea and tick prevention medicine for the afflicted pet, and because my partner and I have two other pets besides Phoebe (another cat and a dog), all three animals will each require 6 months of flea and tick prevention medicine.

On top of all of this, Phoebe is an extremely anxious and neurotic cat. When I adopted her from Seattle Humane a few years ago, they let me know that they'd found her and her littermates in the woods outside the shelter, so she was basically a stray and severely under-socialized to humans. In addition to treating the fleas, I also plan to look into anxiety medicine for Phoebe so she can move through her world more comfortably and confidently.

I'm relieved to say Phoebe hasn't been experiencing any major behavioral changes at this time (still eating, drinking, and playing regularly), though she has been pooping outside her litter box more frequently lately, which is a sure sign that she's not feeling well, so I'm trying to get care for her as immediately as possible.

I'm asking for help to ease the financial burden of vet bills for Phoebe as I'm unable to afford the cost of monthly pet insurance. Funds will go toward:

Getting to care for Phoebe these last few years has been one of the most challenging and humbling experiences of my life. The shelter told me when I adopted her that a lot of people who were initially interested in her ended up withdrawing their applications when they found out Phoebe was as under-socialized and anxious as she was, but all I saw was an incredibly sweet animal who didn't know what or who she could trust and I wanted to be that for her. I've invested more time and love into Phoebe than any animal I've ever had, and it's been so beautiful to watch her grow into her personality as a result of the safety she's come to know in our little family, and I want to continue to offer her the best care I can.

Any contribution, big or small, makes a world of difference. If you're able to donate, share, or send some encouragement our way, I'd be so grateful.

With hope,

Linzy