Kalec the Cat Needs Emergency Surgery

My name is Cierra Kjos, and my husband (Andrew) and I are the proud owners of three sweet, beautiful cats. One of my cats, Kalec (government name: Archmeowge Kalecgos, for all you World of Warcraft fans) has been in our family for 6 years, and he is the most gentle, cute and relaxed cat anyone could ever ask for. He has a playful and easy personality, even if he gets very chatty when it comes to food and feeding schedules.

On Saturday, April 27, we woke up to Kalec throwing up, acting lethargic, and straining to use the bathroom. We took him to our vet as soon as they opened, and from there we were referred to an animal hospital. It was confirmed that he has a urinary blockage that is being caused by stones in his bladder, and he needed to be admitted right away so that treatment could start on him to relieve his pain and give us time to go over surgery options. Upon further examination, the vets at the animal hospital said that Kalec needs surgery to remove the stones in his bladder and to prevent him from developing further health issues related to the bladder and urinary tract. He will also have medications to take when he returns home, and he will need to switch to a diet made for cats with urinary tract health concerns, which he will need for the rest of his life.

We are choosing to go forward with this surgery, and he is scheduled to have the procedure done 4/29. Altogether, the surgery as well as his hospital stay is costing Andrew and I somewhere around $10,000. This is a pretty big hit to Andrew and I's finances, and while we will do anything for our sweet baby boy, it also is going to put extreme strain on our finances unless we ask for help. It is very hard for us to ask this of others - Andrew and I both work very hard at good, stable jobs, and have spent a long time putting savings together as best as we can so that we can build a better life for ourselves and for our pets. But this is one of those situations were we are in over our head, and there aren't any other options besides wiping our bank accounts out and leaving them empty. Funds will go towards paying off the cost of the surgery (about $7,000) and for the 3 overnight stays at the hospital (about $3,000) - if we are left with anything over, we will use the money to help with purchasing urinary tract health cat food/supplies for Kalec, and beyond that the rest will be paid forward to others who are in need of emergency funds.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this, and please feel free to share this story to anyone who would want to help us. Every little bit helps!