***Update 2.26.26*** Juniper had his 1-month follow up recently and I'm so happy to share that his PH level has normalized and his urine is COMPLETELY CLEAR of crystal buildup!!!! He was the sweetest gentleman during the check-up and everyone at the vet's office just adored him. This is the BEST possible update from this potentially fatal situation. I'm so glad it was caught early on. Juniper has essentially made a full recovery and is continuing treatment with a special prescription food for urinary crystal prevention. Thank you to all who have donated to these emergency veterinary costs. It's so stressful when a fur baby is not doing well. Any further support is graciously appreciated. Also, Juniper is down 1 pound!!! So proud of our little guy.

Our sweet boy, Juniper Jones, was hospitalized for several days due a urinary blockage. Fortunately there were no stones present in his x-rays and his blood work was clean, but he did have a high buildup of struvite crystals in his urethra and his urinary PH levels were pretty high.

Juni had a urinary and IV catheter placed for a few days to help flush these crystals out and is on track to recover with an ongoing special diet and treatment to help prevent another buildup of these struvite crystals, however, I’m told that it is possible for another blockage to occur, sometimes in years, months, or even days.

Everyone at the vet said Juniper was extremely sweet, in high spirits, and was one of the few cats to actually eat all his food normally while hospitalized (no surprises here…he is 14.2lbs for a reason!) and took his medications extremely well.

There are limited known causes for this kind of crystal buildup, but the main known cause is stress.

Juni is a very laidback, take–it-easy kind of fella, but sometimes cats don’t always physically exhibit these signs of stress. The vet gave us a pheromone calming spray, and suggested we give him a small dose of cat anxiety medication.

Juniper, in my opinion, had the best possible outcome of a bad situation. The vet says I caught the blockage early on, and thankfully, he did not need surgery. Often, these situations in male cats can be fatal.

I’m not usually one to ask for help, especially financial help, but, friends and family, and animal-loving strangers on the internet, if you are able and would be so willing, I could use some help covering the unexpected costs of his visit. Your donation of any amount, or even some words of encouragement for the little guy, is greatly appreciated.

Juniper, and his twin brother Jasper, captured the hearts of my sister, Jackie, and I in April 2022 after going into our local pet store/rescue “just to look around” and get some dopamine from loving on the puppies and kitties there.

They were a 7-month-old bonded pair, and Jackie and I could not imagine the two being adopted separately, since there was no note suggesting they needed to go together.

We brought them home that same day and ever since they continue to melt the hearts of those who meet them. As twins, Juni and Jasper often like being in the same place doing the same things at the same time, but they each have their own unique personalities.

They’ve never been apart as long as they were this week with Juniper in the hospital. Upon Juni’s return, Jasper has been a bit hesitant in wanting to be around him. I suspect it’s because Juni smells different but I'm not entirely sure. The two are usually inseparable!

Juniper and Jasper also provided a lot of emotional support for Jackie and I when we had to say goodbye to our 17-year-old Sally girl in November of 2022.

The two have impacted our lives in big ways and I can’t imagine life without either of them. They are truly just the sweetest duo, and even have an Instagram page if you wanna see more into their lives: @ JuniperJonesAndJaspBerry

Healthwise Jasper seems to be doing fine, but so did Juni up until Wednesday morning. I’d like to get Jasper’s bloodwork and urinary PH looked at too, eventually, just to be sure.

Thank you so much to anyone who can help us help our little big June Bug. Your support, of any kind, means the world ❤️‍