Medical treatment to save Jasper the cat

UPDATE (12TH NOVEMBER 2019):
Unfortunately, we have not received the news we wanted (or expected) following Jasper’s surgery today. After anaesthetising Jasper, the vet surgeon performed x-rays on his skull and jaw to reveal the full extent of his injury. Unexpectedly, the x-ray showed that the injuries he had were more severe than it was initially thought. The x-ray showed that his upper jaw had been completely separated into two, with extreme damage caused to his upper skull, brain and nasal cavity.

The vets could not believe how well he had kept his true injuries and pain hidden and told us that this type of injury should have been fatal upon impact. For him to have made it home and to have been showing major signs of improvement over the last 2 days despite these injuries is still incredibly shocking and confusing for us to comprehend.

The vet surgeons explained that only two options remained - a referral for Jasper to see a specialist, or euthanasia. We insisted that we wanted to give Jasper every opportunity of surviving and suggested that we would want him to be referred to a specialist regardless of the cost. However, the vets explained that based on the injury, the chances of survival and repair would be extremely low. Eventually, our decision came down to not wanting Jasper to suffer or continue to be in anymore pain and so we took the advice of the vet surgeon and agreed for Jasper to be euthanised.

This news was obviously not what we wanted to be sharing today and was not what we expected based on the signs he showed of improving. We now face the worst possible experience of having to pay for Jasper’s vet bill and not bringing him back home where he belongs. The total cost of Jasper’s vet bill and emergency care has now been confirmed as £900.

We are extremely overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who has donated and the kindness of everyone who has helped to share our story about Jasper. Although this was not the update we expected to be posting, the kindness shown by everyone who has donated/shared our post has provided some comfort and will always continue to help us cope with the situation we have had to deal with. Despite us only owning him for 4 weeks, he quickly became a much loved member of our family and we are absolutely heartbroken.

Jasper may not have had the most perfect life due to being mistreated by his previous owners, but for the last 4 weeks while living with us we know we have done everything we possibly can to give him the best life and show him that cats deserve to be loved.

I always say that things happen for a reason, and for me the purpose of Jasper’s story was to show that you shouldn’t take any time spent with any pet/human for granted - you never know what could happen.

Thank you to everyone for the support and kindness you have shown through the donations you have given - we are completely overwhelmed.

Following our upsetting news and knowing that there will be no long term treatment required for Jasper, there has been some feeling of guilt about the donations we have already received despite us still knowing we have to pay the £900 for the care he received. However, if you would rather your donation be returned to you please let me know. Otherwise, the money received will help fund the outstanding vet bill and any additional donations exceeding the amount will be given to support the Ashmore rescue for cats.

Thank you.

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Approximately 4 weeks ago, a new stray cat decided to wander into our house. This timid cat spent time hiding at the back of our house in a spare room, but was soon encouraged to gain trust in my parents after being enticed by a few tempting handfuls of dreamies and food.

At first glance, this cat appeared to have no fur and it was presumed he was a Sphinx cat. However, after closer inspection it soon became clear that his fur was missing and his whiskers had also been cut. A quick trip to the vets revealed that this cat wasn’t microchipped, had not been neutered and the vet confirmed that it was likely this cat had been mistreated and his fur shaved by his previous owners.

As he was not microchipped and due to his loving nature towards my parents, they decided to welcome him into our home and was given the name Jasper. All checks completed by the vet confirmed he was a healthy cat and so we were excited to rehome this poor cat and give him the love and attention he deserved.


Jasper soon became settled into the home and would cuddle up to my parents every single night. His placid and affectionate nature fitted right in to our home and he quickly became the most perfect addition to our cat family.

Jasper’s fur was beginning to slowly regrow and he was on his way to becoming a typical normal looking short haired cat. 


Based on the stories i’d heard from my mum about Jasper, I was so excited to finally be able to go back home and meet him. As soon as I entered the front door, Jasper was quick to inspect who was visiting and within a few minutes he had jumped onto my chest and was nustling into my chin. He really was such a loving cat and was the cat I had always dreamed of owning as a child.

Unfortunately, the following evening, Jasper was found hiding in a dark corner in my bedroom with his face covered in blood. An emergency trip to the vets revealed that he had likely been hit by a car with damage caused to his face and jaw. The fact that Jasper had clearly been in a traumatic accident yet still managed to make his way back to our house amazed us and showed just how much of a fighter this cat can be.

Jasper was hospitalised overnight and then transferred to our regular veterinary practice the following morning. The main priority for the vets at this point was to ensure he was stable, so the extent of his injuries was not immediately known. An examination of Jasper revealed that his jaw had been fractured and would require surgery to be rewired. 

Surgery for Jasper is planned for Tuesday 12th November 2019. Whilst anaesthetised, full body x-rays will be performed including his skull and jaw which may reveal further damage or injuries which require surgery. We could not simply give up on such a loving cat and we were adamant that any necessary treatment to save Jasper should be performed and we know that we need to do everything to give this cat the love and life that he deserves.

As Jasper was an unexpected addition to our family and as he had only been with us properly for just under 4 weeks, we did not have any pet insurance to cover any medical treatments for Jasper. As expected, veterinary surgery does not come cheap and with the added complications of a fractured jaw and an approximate 8 week healing/recovery period, the price estimation for his full treatment keeps growing. A trachea tube is also to be inserted into his oesophagus following the jaw surgery to enable him to be fed whilst his jaw recovers, which will require time and care by my family following his operation.

It is currently estimated that his total treatment will be in excess of £1500, which we know Jasper requires and deserves. For anyone, having to pay out a large sum like this unexpectedly is not easy and will cause some struggle for my family. If you can give any amount to support the high veterinary bills we will need to pay over the next couple of weeks, it will be greatly appreciated. Usually this is not something i’d be comfortable in asking, but this is the onetime that I know I can ask for help and know that it is going on something that is deserving of being saved.

Jasper has not had an easy life, but with any help you can give to support his treatment we know we can get him back on the mend.

Thank you.




*** Note: Any funds received which exceed the goal will be donated to The ARC (The Ashmore rescue for cats)