Omar's Big Heart

Hi Friends, 

We never thought we'd be at this point, but since taking in Omar we've spent more than the down payment on our house in vet bills. I've managed to put them on credit cards and keep on top of them until now, but with Omar's heart condition and Jaga's GI issues, we're not sure how we're going to cover everything, even after our pet insurance kicks in for part of Jaga's. 

If you've got a few dollars to spare, every little bit would go a long way to paying down the massive bills we continue to rack up. So far this year we have:

$680 for Omar's check x-rays & exam (not covered by insurance)
$5,000 for Jaga's internal medicine diagnostic (covered up to 80% by insurance, minus deductible & vet exam fee, so likely only about $1,500 once the claim is processed) 

Coming up:
$? - Omar's Echocardiogram (Estimating about $1500, not covered by insurance) 
$1,000- Omar's dental surgery (Not covered by insurance) to remove his dead canine tooth

In 2019 we spent more than $4,700 (after insurance) on emergency vet visits, dental work for Omar, and ultrasound for Jaga. 

It's likely we'll need to buy special food for Jaga, and ongoing treatment for them both in 2020. 



Omar, for anyone who hasn't heard his story, belonged to an elderly neighbor years before we bought our house. When she passed away, Omar had no one;  he lived outside for almost three years on the kindness of the neighborhood & the abundance of rodents.

When we moved in during the summer of 2018, we noticed him right away and started to leave food for him. At first, we couldn't even make eye contact without him running away in fear. We soon noticed he was injured from a fight with another cat. Worried his wounded paw was not healing, I (with so much help from the amazing Alley Cat Project) trapped him and took him in for vet care and sterilization. This helped ensure he'd stay healthy, avoid fathering any more feral kittens, and hopefully lead to less conflict with other male cats. 

A few months later, Omar started to get more comfortable in our yard and eventually moved to our porch, spending every night and day there waiting for us to come out and pet him. That was when I knew he wanted to come inside. 


We brought him inside on September 28th, 2019. He's been a happy indoor cat ever since and has gradually even learned to even love his troublesome Bengal brothers, Caspin & Jaga. He was given a clean bill of health for the most part, but we noticed he had regular coughing/wheezing fits, and a chest x-ray revealed his heart is enlarged. 

Because his condition is considered pre-existing, it is not eligible for coverage by pet insurance. 

We're committed to giving him the best care we can and making sure his life is as comfortable as possible. Anything you can spare to help will go 100% to defray his 2020 medical costs and will help ensure that Omar continues to get the best care possible. 

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for reading Omar's story and anything you're able to spare to help him. I totally understand that not everyone who loves Omar (or us!) will be able to contribute, and we are so grateful for your support in any form. 

Love,

Kelsey & Damon