Overwhelmed by vet bills in pursuit of saving the life of my rescued 8-month-old cat

Following the death of my dad, my husband’s 2 layoffs, and the impacts of Hurricane Helene (all within 7 months of 2024), we decided to adopt a cat with the goal of bringing joy, love, and a new life into our home. My husband and I had dreamed of what life would look like with a pet long before these events and thought that if ever there was a time worth rescuing an animal and experiencing the fulfillment of pet parenthood, early 2025 was the time.

We adopted a very affectionate and seemingly healthy 8-month-old Siamese in March and immediately fell in love with our little one, who we named “Ginko.” Ginko was just the addition that gave us a sense of things turning around. Little did we know what was just ahead.

Within 10 days of adoption, Ginko became sick with one thing after another, resulting in regular vet visits and prescription medications for secondary infections while the vets worked to diagnose her primary illness(es). Just as we completed supportive care for a double flare-up of herpes and calici viruses, as well as antibiotics for a bacterial infection from scratching at a Pemphigus outbreak, Ginko came down with a mysterious case of labored breathing, lethargy, and loss of appetite. We rushed Ginko to the ER where she was finally diagnosed with FIP and received therapeutic care, including having 150mL of fluid removed from the chest cavity of her little 7lb body.

The emergency vet advised that FIP is no longer a true death sentence with black market/off-label drugs, and after frantic internet searches, we got in touch with an amazing FIP support network. While Ginko remained in the hospital overnight, my husband and I drove to a neighboring state to procure these life-saving drugs. We have begun treating Ginko with daily life-saving injections and are starting to see some promising signs of improvement.

Unfortunately, the FIP treatment plan is 84 days long, fairly expensive, and is not guaranteed. Staying afloat financially following Hurricane Helene and Ginko’s rapid-fire health complications, we are struggling to come up with the cash to pay for prior, as well as future, vet care (our current vet bills stand at $8,250). We understand these are financially stressful times for many folks across the region and the nation right now, and we’d appreciate any contribution to our efforts in helping Ginko get better and live a long, stable life.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.