Norm Needs Ear Surgery

I’m Jen. The gorgeous beastie in the photo is Norm. He’s my world, and I need your help to help him.

Norm has a history of bad ear infections, and on September 27 we went to the vet with another one. Unfortunately the vet also found a mass in Norm’s right ear canal. This mass appears to be not only contributing to the infections, it is also causing Norm pain and issues with his balance which is interfering with his ability to walk. He has been spending a lot of time in his hiding places, and generally letting me know he feels pretty bad.

We have been treating the ear infection, but to address the mass the vet will need to place Norm under general anesthesia to do an MRI and biopsy the mass. The MRI will help the vet see exactly where the mass is, any other structures involved, and determine whether they can/need to remove the whole thing while they’ve got him anesthetized. The estimate I was given for this procedure gives a cost between $2,440.16 and $3,450.87.

We are going to the vet on Tuesday 10/12/2021 for the vet to check the progress of the infection treatment and see if there’s any change to the mass. We will also discuss how soon this surgery needs to happen, and anything else we can do to help Norm in the meantime while I am getting the funding together. I do not anticipate we can put this off for long- it is clear that Norm is feeling very unwell. He is struggling. I would book the surgery tomorrow if I could. I will update this page after this appointment with any new information I get.

I am a disabled jewelry artist. I sell my jewelry, but I’m still building my business and do not have the income to cover this. I have investigated various assistance programs, with no luck. This is my only option: I need your help.

Norm has pet insurance, but the way it works is that I have to pay the bill and then wait for the insurance to partially reimburse me- their processing is slowed significantly due to the pandemic, so this is taking many weeks. Any money I raise here which is above the final cost of the surgery or which ultimately gets reimbursed will be used for Norm’s ongoing care and his regular expenses like food and litter. The goal amount I am setting will cover the cost of surgery as shown on the estimate from the vet hospital, transportation to and from the hospital, the fees taken out of donations by GFM and payment processing, and post-op medications and care.

The past several years have been really rough, and Norm has been the one constant in my life. He sleeps in my arms, takes care of me when I’m not well, and gives me way more love than you’d think could fit in 15lbs of cat. He keeps me going. I need him desperately, and so I desperately need your help to get him healthy again. I will never be able to express how much your support means. I thank you for donating what you can, and for sharing this with others.