Please Save Jambalaya From Kidney Failure

LITTLE JAMBALAYA'S KIDNEY IS FAILING, AND HE NEEDS YOUR HELP.

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UPDATE FROM AUGUST 29TH:

*Jamba's surgery is booked in for September 4th (Thursday)*

Jambalaya needed to get more blood work done.

He had blood testa few months ago, but the vet wanted more recent results to make extra sure that everything other than his kidney seems to be functioning properly.

He had the blood taken on Wednesday, and the results came in today. Everything looks great and he is good to go!

His kidney removal is happening in less than a week and we are feeling a little overwhelmed. We love little Jamba so, so much and we cannot wait until he is happy and healthy and living his best life.

The surgery is taking place at the Ivanhoe East vet clinic and will be performed by Dr. Rob, a vet that we have loved and trusted for many years now.

We are also absolutely floored by everyone's generosity. THANK YOU to each and every person who has made a donation in order to help us save this little kitten.

Jamba is also sending lots of grateful purrs and tail shakes and nose snuzzles your way.

We are struggling a bit financially right now and kitten season is coming into full swing, so not only are you helping Jamba, but you are allowing us to continue taking other cats into care.

On Wednesday it was also confirmed that our other kitten, Juliet, needs all of her teeth removed, and her brother Romeo might need a full extraction as well.

Thank you for helping us help them.

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UPDATE FROM AUGUST 15TH:

Jambalaya does indeed need his kidney removed. :(

It is a delicate surgery, but we are confident in our vets and know he will be in the best hands.

We are waiting for results from another blood test to make sure his other kidney can sustain him, and then he will be booked in for his surgery.

He is currently still his happy, silly, purry, playful self. He is sending heartfelt head boops and excited tail shakes your way.

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Jambalaya has a serious and likely-life-threatening issue with his left kidney.

We are currently awaiting results from a recent CT scan so that we can get a proper diagnosis.

The vets are almost certain he will need his kidney removed.

He has had numerous vet visits along with a variety tests, scans, medications, and trial treatments for his kidney. These procedures have cost thousands, and we are far from out of the woods yet.

In addition to all of this, little Jamba has already overcome numerous health issues (detailed in depth below). He has already been through so much in his little life.

Despite the hell he has been through, he continues to be one of the cuddliest, silliest, smoochiest, most affectionate kittens ever.

His resilience shines through.

He is our little treasure and we will do whatever we can to save him.

But we need your help.

Jambalaya is one of three cats needing serious--and very costly--medical treatment. Truthfully, we are struggling to keep our heads above water financially, so we are reaching out for assistance.

PLEASE HELP US SAVE HIM!

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JAMBALAYA'S FULL STORY...

Jambalaya came to us as part of a Last Litter programme.

When we first met Jamba, he was happy and healthy and almost big enough to be desexed.

We left him in his original home a bit longer, while we made space to take him and his siblings into care.

When we went to pick him up, he has lost 40% of his body weight and was incredibly sick. The family did not tell us this; it was an absolute shock to see him in such a horrible state.

He came to us with a serious case of the flu, and was suffering from anaemia and severe dehydration. He was on the verge of starvation, some of which was due to an infestation of parasites.

We immediately intervened, syringe feeding him and giving him fluid injections every few hours to stabilise him. He was put on antibiotics, appetite stimulants, and parasite treatment. Luckily we got to him just in time; within a couple days he perked up a little and began eating on his own.

A few days later we noticed that his front paws had *tripled* in size; this was due to an extreme buildup of fluids (edema) in his body.

After another trip to the vet and another round of treatment, his paws returned to normal size and he continued to improve.

Then he lost a lot of fur; it fell out in clumps and patches.

So he and his siblings went into quarantine, and it was back to the vet for a ringworm test, just in case.

On this visit, during the test, the vet noticed a "golf ball sized lump" in his abdomen.

Suddenly his prognosis became a LOT worse than a simple build-up of fluid or fungal infection.

We were shocked that this growth had gone undetected for so long by multiple vets. Thank goodness we brought him in for the skin scraping or it might have remained undetected until it ultimately killed him!

(Luckily he tested negative for ringworm. The fur loss was likely from the trauma of the illness and subsequent swelling of his extremities.)

Since then, Jambalaya has visited the vet for numerous tests and procedures.

His kidney is *riddled* with cysts.

In fact, they were unable to get a proper fluid sample because every time they tried, they only ended up with a syringe full of "viscous, hay-coloured fluid", likely from cysts and not his actual kidney (the fluid therefore could not be tested)

The next step is a CT-scan, which will need to be done by a specialist at an imaging clinic. (Update: CT scan was performed last week; we are awaiting results.)

All of these appointments have already cost the rescue thousands. The CT-scan will cost upwards of $3000 (depending on the area needing to be scanned). This does not include the specialist consultation or any treatment or surgery needed thereafter; this is just to try and get a proper diagnosis.

Jambalaya is one of three kittens needing serious medical intervention. We are a tiny rescue; we operate out of our own homes and everything we do is volunteer-run. We depend on adoption fees and donations to keep us afloat, and right now we are struggling to keep our heads above water.

We save every single cat that we can, but all it takes is a couple of concurrent medical issues to put us at risk of closing. We have had to close our intake until we can afford to help again (but requests for assistance keep coming in daily- and it hurts so much to have to say no).

We are desperate for donations to help save Jambalaya's life and the lives of many more to come.

Every donation over $2 is tax deductible.

Please give what you can. There is no amount too small. Everything helps.

On behalf of Jambalaya and all of us at Sugar and Spice, thank you for your kindness. We cannot do it without you.