--- IMPORTANT UPDATE 1/16/2026 PLEASE READ (Original GoFundMeStory Beneath this update) ---

Hello readers,

I would like to preface this by stating that I am so overwhelmed by the amount of support that Zen has received over the past day and a half. To each and every single person that has come across my situation, or donated to the fundraiser, I want to give my sincerest thank you- when this first happened, I thought I would be in financial ruin for the foreseeable future, and your help- no matter how big or small, or if you just read my post, has completely changed my life.

Now for the bad news. Unfortunately, as of last night, 1/16/2026 at 7PM, I had to make the difficult decision of putting Zen to rest. More info for those interested in the details may read the paragraph below. Please take the time to read the paragraph after for more information on the fundraiser.

Zen suffered from a urinary blockage (not to be confused with a UTI) which means that he was unable to urinate. It's a condition that happens in male cats which requires immediate medical attention, as it can lead to kidney failure, a ruptured bladder, and causes an extreme amount of discomfort for the cat. By the time I took him to the vet- and was told I caught it early- he was already in critical condition and was very close to losing his life. His bladder was solid, and his urinary tract was completely blocked. Initially, for the treatment, I was quoted for 7500$ in medical procedures and materials, which I had to deposit in order for them to continue care for Zen. I decided that night to take the plunge and waited for the results the next day. When that time came, Zen's condition had improved, but he was still in rough shape. His chemical markers did not look good after some paneling from the vet, and I was told that he would need another day at the least to get him in a condition in which he could return home. Unfortunately, the extra day in the vet, and the cost of putting in a new catheter, and other medical materials required, was an additional 2500$ to 3000$. This would bring the total cost of care to 10,000$ for this one incident alone. There is an important thing to understand about this condition- once it appears in a male cat, the likelihood of this happening again is very high. There have been cases of these blockages recurring as soon as days after it has been cleared- and unfortunately, my insurance would not be able to cover any future incidents, as this would be considered a pre-existing condition for Zen. This would mean that any future visits would require me to pay out of pocket in order to treat him. Please understand that I am simply unable to provide enough money to care for Zen in this manner, and in addition, this condition would require a new special diet and some adjustments in lifestyle- which even then, would not guarantee this wouldn't happen again.

Due to all of the factors above, I made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Zen. After talking with the vet, they told me that only a portion of the 7500$ was used for medical care, and that the rest of the unused portion will be returned to me. As of now, I do not have the numbers on hand of how much will be returned to me, but as soon as I get this info, I will be adjusting the GoFundMe to match the missing amount and will close the fundraiser once the target is met. I will attempt to return any amount donated after this goal is reached to the original donator and will post an additional update if/when that goal is reached.

I have to take the time to thank you once again if you have read the update until this point. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for receiving support from so many people, especially seeing donation amounts into the triple digits, as I work very hard for my money and know just how difficult it is to come by. Friends, family, and even strangers, each amount means so much to me and I cannot find the words to let you all know how thankful I am for everyone's kind words and thoughts for Zen.

One last thing for all readers can be found below.

Zen was only one year old at the time of his passing. I initially adopted Zen with his sister, Fi, at SF Animal Care and Control when I had first moved to my new place, to welcome a new chapter of independence for me. My dream from a very young age was to be on my own with two cats. On my first visit to the shelter with a dear friend, seeing the two of them in their cage, I immediately knew that these two kittens would be my new roommates. This past year, watching these two grow has been some of the most fun I have ever had in my life. Zen was an energetic crackhead, and a very handsome man who always sought my attention, often sleeping with me, staying in my lap, and terrorizing his sister, which was something I was looking forward to working out in a future I thought would be long and bright for all three of us. He was a crazy man, but a crazy man that was after my heart. Unfortunately, this journey was cut short for Zen, and now it's just me and Fi.

To Zen- if I ever went back to the past, I would always choose the both of you. I have never regretted a moment with you, despite all the frustration and patience that came with cat ownership of your crazy lifestyle. From watching you destroy your first toy, to fixing it over and over and watching you still love it like the first day you found it, hopefully now you're having a good time and flying off the walls with all the new space you have, now that you're free from the confines of my small humble studio.

Finally, to the reader who possibly read all of this, or just even small parts- thank you again. If you met him, if you didn't get to, or even if you didn't know him, I'd imagine he's still waiting at the door to see who's there. Thank you, again, for anything you may have contributed- even if it was just your time.

---- ORIGINAL GOFUNDME STORY BELOW ---

Hello reader,

My name is Jay, and this is one of two of my sibling pair of cats, Zen. On 1/15/2026, Zen suffered from a urinary blockage, a very serious and life-threatening condition where he could not use the bathroom. During this blockage, which lasted about a day and a half, he was unable to eat or drink and slowly became lethargic until he was no longer able to stand as he was extremely weak. His treatment required hospitalization, various fluids, and constant monitoring in order to restore him to a decent condition. Unfortunately, I did not have pet insurance at the time of the incident and had to bear the cost of the entire operation, which, including vet fees, totaled to about $8000.

Both my cats just recently celebrated their first year of being born, and I really cannot afford another emergency such as this should it happen again. I was told by the veterinarian that this specific issue comes up in male cats, and once a blockage has shown itself, there is a likelihood of it happening again. I just recently obtained pet insurance, but I'm unsure if this is a pre-existing condition for my cat, and if it will cover any future operations. However, for the purpose of this GoFundMe, I am only seeking to try and make up the money from the first operation, as it has been extremely straining on my finances.

A little about me - I currently work two jobs to make ends meet and am quite busy because of it. I only have one full day off every other week, so my cats are a huge sense of comfort and solace to me. We sleep together, we play together, and hopefully, will go on more adventures together should Zen's health recover. I humbly ask that you please consider donating to help keep Zen alive, as now he will require a specialized diet on top of additional monitoring to help prevent this situation from happening again.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story, and again, please consider donating - any amount is truly significant and will go a huge way towards being able to keep my handsome boy Zen around for the long haul.