My name is Chris and my spouse is AJ.

We are asking your help with the vet bills for our beautiful and very sick fur baby, GOLDIE. As of a week ago, she stopped eating and we rushed Goldie, aged 9, to the emergency hospital. She had an IV tube inserted, and been hospitalised 2 nights while undergoing so many tests. We cannot afford to keep her there a 3rd night, so we're bringing her home where Goldie can at least cuddle with us.

What's wrong with her? It's a mystery! 2 years ago, Goldie defied the odds when the vets in Texas diagnosed stage 4 lung cancer and claimed she only had "months" to live. Later another vet came back to say the masses appear to be "gone" and we need to run MORE tests. We decided instead to keep medicating her for asthma. Goldie would normally breathe heavily, but otherwise she's alert and happy and really oh so sweet.

Fast forward to today where we brought Goldie to Med Vet Chicago after she stopped eating. Honestly, we're still waiting for the test results; the vet speculate everything from feline covid, a viral tick-borne illness, some autoimmune disease, or just plain cancer. The only conclusion they have so far was the signs of severe asthma in our kitty's lungs.

Her full name is really Goldie Doubloon the Pirate Queen. And what adventures our pirate cat has had. As an indoor cat, she once hopped the backyard wall and we had to chase her down while she merrily scampered 5 blocks. Goldie really acts more like a dog than a cat; she would flop over to expose her belly, and she wags her tail when she's happy.

We guessed that as a kitten she was raised with dogs, without littermates, because she didn't know her own strength. It took me 6 months to train her to NOT chomp my hand, until Goldie learned how to give me a high-five, and both her left paw and right paw, for treats. Goldie really loves her treats! When we visited her last night and offered her favourite treats, she would only take one. She was alert but frail.

At 3am the vet called us to say Goldie took a turn. We gave permission for a blood transfusion, because our kitty's own body was destroying her own red blood cells. We're now waiting and hoping the transfusion helps, but we cannot keep her another night at the hospital.

Please understand you are helping us with our vet bills. Our goal right now is to make Goldie, our silly stubborn fiercely solitary cat, as comfortable with us as possible. Our hearts are broken, we love her so much.

Please know even if we don't get funded, we are going to love and take care of Goldie. She's family. She's our child. Without her, we are lost.

Thank you for reading this far. We really appreciate any help you can give <3

To ensure transparency, these are our vet bills so far:

Cost (USD) - Date Charged - Place - Description

535.50 - 9/18 - Chicago Cat Clinic - Consultation and Geriatric Lab Panel

550.00 - 9/22 - Chicago Cat Clinic - Ultrasound, saline injection, Cerenia

159.00 - 9/23 - Chicago Cat Clinic - saline injection, Cerenia

4,000.00 - 9/23 - Medvet Chicago - "Loan Advance Credit"

2,700 - Pending - Medvet Chicago - 2nd day overnight hospital care and tests

1,000 - Pending - Medvet Chicago - blood transfusion and blood typing