Over the past week, Luxo has come down with a urethral blockage twice - meaning he has chronic feline lower urinary tract disease or FLUTD. We rushed him to the ER vet last weekend and he was discharged after being treated, but unfortunately he relapsed within the same week. Luxo will need surgery immediately to eliminate the risk of reccuring urinary tract blockages which can be deadly. This will greatly improve his quality of life and prevent him from getting serious diseases associated by FLUTD in the future, such as bladder stones or kidney disease. This surgery will ensure Luxo lives a longer, fuller, happier, healthier life.

From what I have learned in the past week, FLUTD is caused by feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC), which is struvite oxide crystals in his urine. It is kind of like the cat equivalent to kidney stones. It causes a buildup of mineral grit in his urethra, and because male cats have really tiny pp's, he is unable to pass the contaminants. This results in pain, inability to urinate, and can be fatal if not immediately tended to. He has had to be catheterized twice in one week, which is also traumatic and stressful. This surgery will not cure his FIC, but it will eliminate the risk of blockages by widening his urethra so he can pass any contaminants by urinating normally. He will also be on a special prescription diet for the rest of his life, to support his urinary tract health and adjust the pH of his urine to dissolve any crystals before they become dangerously large or unnecessarily painful.

Vets do not fully understand what causes this condition. It can be a combination of many things, including stress and trauma, dietary sensitivities, urine pH issues, or even psychological issues like kitty anxiety and depression. Fixed male cats are at the highest risk for developing this disorder because they have some of the smallest pp's in the mammal kingdom, according to what the vets explained to me. 

I have pet insurance for Luxo thankfully, but unfortunately it will not cover his surgery because he was already treated for a blockage last week. Pet insurance is very vague about what they will and won't cover, and it is my understanding that if the same illness occurs within 12 months, they will only cover the first treatment. So insurance covered his first hospital stay, but it will not cover this current admittance or his surgery scheduled for this Tuesday 1/16. 

His surgery is being performed by board certified surgeons who are qualified to both do the surgery and correct complications. There are some risks associated with this surgery, such as infection or stricture (scar tissue tightening too much and causing the blockage to recur) but they are very rare, and because Luxo is young and otherwise healthy, he is a great candidate for a successful surgery. 

I am really worried about my baby, but I am trusting his doctors and surgeons and putting faith in their skill and training. I know many people who have cats that have had this procedure and lived a great, long healthy life after. This is not optional - if Luxo doesn't get this surgery, he will be in for a lifetime of painful blockages and hospital stays, or worst case scenario... Euthenasia. He is only 2. He is otherwise very strong and healthy. He is such a sweet, loving, gentle boy. He deserves a chance at life. We are not going to let him go. His time is not up yet. We will not give up on him. 

I found Luxo outside on the street in September 2022. He was owned by a neighbor who neglected him. He developed fleas under her care and instead of getting him flea meds, she just threw him outside to fend for himself. I talked to her about what was going on with her cat and she told me she was getting evicted and couldn't take him - her plan was to just leave him behind. So I took him in. 

While Luxo was owned by my ex-neighbor, some time in his early life, before I found him, he was injured under her care and had to have his back leg amputated. She surrendered him to the ASPCA because she couldn't afford his surgery, but because all of the shelters in our city were full, they couldn't place him anywhere after his amputation. So they returned him to her care, where she continued to neglect him for about a year before I came along and rescued him. 

Cats who have been through trauma in their early life are at a disproportionate risk of developing FIC and FLUTD. The traumatic experiences of being an amputee as a kitten and being neglected and abandoned by his previous owner has given Luxo a lot of anxiety and unfortunately basically set him up to be predisposed to this disorder. 

Luxo has been through so much in his short 2 years on this Earth, but he lives every day like he has never been hurt. He is strong and active, you wouldn't even know he is an amputee. He can run faster than most able-bodied cats, he loves to play and attack his toys, burrow and dig, explore and climb. 

He is an amazing companion and shows gratitude to us for rescuing him - he loves to cuddle and be close to people, often climbing up your leg or jumping into your lap to nuzzle into your chest and fall asleep purring contently. He will roll over and beg for belly rubs and neck scratches - and he never bites! He loves to be held and carried like a baby - I even wear him on my chest in a baby wrap while I'm walking around the house. 

He sleeps by my side every night, sits on my lap while I work, and is always at the door to greet us when we come home. Luxo reminds me of what's really important in life - family, friends and love. This little guy has augmented our lives in the most beautiful way. Every person who meets him falls in love with him because he is such a sweet and special animal. Even if you don't like cats, I guarantee you would love Luxo. He is one of a kind. 

He has so much vibrant, beautiful life in him, and he has endured more than any animal should ever go through in his 2 short years of life. I want to be Luxo's safe place, his rock through the hardships of life because that's what he is for me. I want to show Luxo that people aren't all bad - that there are people who will love him unconditionally and never give up on him, no matter what happens. I am that person. He is my baby boy. I'm not going to let him suffer needlessly. I'm going to give him the best life possible. He deserves every ounce of peace and happiness I can provide. He is truly an angel here on Earth.

Unfortunately this surgery is not cheap - but it is worth it for the quality of care he is receiving. I am prepared to finance these medical bills - the only other option is euthenasia and we are NOT DOING THAT, but it is going to spread me extremely thin financially. This is a big, emergency expense that our household was not expecting at all, and it came out of nowhere so fast. 

I am humbly requesting your support to get Luxo through this difficult time. All donations will go towards paying off Luxo's medical bills, including his hospital stay and the services rendered, the surgery itself, and aftercare such as prescriptions and special supplies to keep him comfortable and help him take his medicine (special cone or donut collars, pill shooters, quarantine crate, etc). I will provide itemized receipts for everything, so you can see exactly where your donation is going. Any money we don't use I will return to donors. 

Below is a link to a Google Drive folder where you can view all of the invoices, receipts, what I've already paid vs what else is due, and a description of his disorder from the vet's office.

Please consider donating if you are able, or sharing this GoFundMe around to whoever you can. The more eyes on this, the better. 

Thank you all for reading this and for your consideration. I deeply appreciate every penny we receive.

Hospital Docs & Payment Estimates