Hi, my name is Reem. My husband and I have had a stressful week as our silly orange cat, Maple, suddenly stopped eating after having troublesome bloody poop issues.

We’ve been back and forth to the ER all week trying to figure out what went wrong. Eventually, after a bunch of tests, the doctors discovered he had pancreatitis - seemingly treatable - and he appeared to be doing better so we took him home.

He was doing slightly better and we patiently tried our best to make him comfy and offer him food, which he refused. He was hiding in his litter box all day, lethargic, and uninterested in any food or pets. Normally, he would run to us at the mention of his name, cuddle in bed and sit on our chests and flop around. Obviously meds would make him slightly different but not having eaten in a week, we decided to take him back to the ER in which they said they’d have to put him on a feeding tube. Doctors also mentioned he may have IBD or lymphoma which would have to be managed later on after the pancreatitis was resolved.

We aren’t fully done with all the tests and treatments, so there still may be more to come, but the rush hospitalizations as well as having to think about dealing with this giant unexpected bill, has really put a toll on our mental health. We’ve already put $5k of our own money towards paying his bill, but a lot remains and we have maxed our cards and are running out of other options.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and never forgotten. My husband and I are pretty stubborn and never ask for help, but could really use it at this point. We really miss our everyday lives with our lovely boy and just want to get back to normal.

Thank you for taking the time to read through. Please keep Maple in your thoughts.