My Little Orange Gentleman, Minino:

Minino is a handsome 10-year-old orange tabby, but more importantly he’s a valued member of my family. Minino has grown with me through adolescence into adulthood, providing unconditional love and support every step of the way. With his soft spoken meows, he is the first one to welcome me home persuading me that it is cuddle time with persistent nudges. However, Minino’s energetic nature began to dwindle in the past few days.

A happy, healthy, plump boy who usually jumps at the sound of his dinner bowl soon became lethargic and lost his appetite. I knew Minino wasn’t himself, but I wasn’t sure if it was serious or just an upset stomach so I reached out to the chewy support service. They informed me Minino’s condition could be severe and his current symptoms could be from a life threatening complication. Hearing this advice, I took him to the vet immediately fearing the worst.

After his initial exam, he was rushed for bloodwork, x-rays, and a series of other tests, which confirmed his diagnosis: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). This condition is most common in neutered male cats and is typically caused by a urethral blockage, which leads to severe bladder distention, causing the bladder to expand far beyond its normal size and put pressure on the intestines. The vet told us we were lucky we brought him in when we did—waiting would have resulted in irreversible damage to his kidneys.

The only option was immediate care—I couldn’t risk waiting, not when Minino’s health was on the line. But the cost was overwhelming, far beyond what I can manage at the moment. I had no choice but to put it on a credit card, knowing the burden of the high interest rates in addition to paying off the card.

Your support will go directly toward procedure costs ($5,000 initial bill), post-op care, and medication.

If you’re unable to donate, sharing this with other pet lovers would mean the world to us.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our little sickly gentleman. We’ll keep you updated every step of the way on his recovery. Your kindness, no matter how small, gives us hope that we can get through this and give Minino the chance to enjoy many more happy, healthy years with us.

Sincerely,

Karyme Paez