Update: Friday, October 10th

Oliver is still being observed in the ICU, but he is doing well considering everything going on. He has officially finished his IV medications and has transitioned well to his oral medicine. Today they also stopped IV fluids as he is drinking and eating enough right now.

I’ve been able to visit these past few days and he is loving this time together. It’s hard though because during this time he seems completely normal aside from his catheter, bandages, and bald patches. He’s super affectionate - licking us, purring, and even falling asleep on us. Luckily we were able to leave his favorite stuffed animal with him to keep him company while we are gone and I get picture updates everyday of them snuggled up together.

So the plan remains the same: wait and see. We are thinking his catheter will come out on Tuesday and pray he’s able to urinate without any issues. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated and kept us in your thoughts and prayers this far. These next few days are going to be challenging so please keep sending us all the good vibes you can!

Hi everyone,

My name is Melanie Roma, and I’m writing this with a completely broken heart. My cat Oliver — my best friend, my baby — has been in and out of emergency hospitals all week fighting for his life. His medical bills have now reached $20,000, and we’re still not out of the woods. After two surgeries, countless sleepless nights, and every ounce of hope I have, Oliver’s future is still uncertain.

On Sunday, September 28th, I noticed something was very wrong. Oliver was sitting in his litter box for long stretches, moaning, and straining to pee. I called his vet first thing the next morning to get him in immediately. They kept him for half the day and said he was backed up and needed an enema, but they completely missed the main reason I brought him in: his urinary issues. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that oversight cost him dearly. I was billed over $600 for that visit, and they didn’t address the real problem.

That night, things got worse. He still couldn’t pee, was crying in pain, and I rushed him to an emergency hospital. There, they found he had a urinary blockage and a UTI — both life-threatening for male cats. He was hospitalized from Monday (9/29) to Thursday (10/2) in the ICU where he was catheterized, on fluids, and given sedation and pain medication. This stay cost $3,900. When he finally peed after they removed the catheter, I was so hopeful we were in the clear.

When he came home on Thursday he peed twice, but by Friday (10/3) he wasn’t eating, drinking, or peeing again. I could tell he was in pain so I called his hospital around 7:30p.m. but they told me to “wait until the morning.” By 2 a.m. I knew I couldn’t wait any longer so I started calling every emergency hospital in the area, but most were full. Finally, around 3 a.m. on Saturday (10/4), I found one that said to come in right away.

At that new hospital, they found Oliver was blocked again. They started fluids, medications, and worked to stabilize him. Later that day, his team performed a PU surgery (Perineal Urethrostomy) — a major procedure we hoped would finally solve the issue. He stayed overnight and managed to pee once, so they sent him home — hopeful but cautious. But just 14 hours later, he still couldn’t urinate. I knew in my heart something was wrong again, so I rushed him back at 3 a.m. That’s when they discovered the worst news yet: Oliver has a urethral tear. They told me it’s a miracle he’s been able to urinate at all since the surgery.

At that point, I was given two options:

• Put him down now, or

• Try one final, life-saving measure.

After a lot of tears and talks with my family and his doctors, I chose to keep fighting for him. On Tuesday, October 7th, his doctors performed a cystostomy — surgically placing a catheter directly into his bladder through his abdomen to give the torn urethra 5–7 days to try to heal. He’ll stay in the ICU this entire time under close observation. If the tear doesn’t heal, there’s nothing more we can do — because if he can’t pee, he can’t survive.

This final attempt costs $9,000–$12,000, bringing his total medical bills to about $20,000 so far. I’ve exhausted everything I have trying to save him. I can’t give up on him, but I can’t do this alone anymore.

Oliver isn’t just my cat — he’s been my heart through everything. Through my own countless surgeries and hospital stays over the years, he’s always been there. He curls up beside me when I’m in pain, rests his head on me like he’s trying to take it away, and somehow always knows when I need him most.

He loves lying in the sun and sleeping on piles of dirty laundry — especially bras. He’s obsessed with his stuffed animals (the one he’s lying on in the photo is his absolute favorite). He has different flavored treats for different rooms in the house, and if you give him the “wrong” one, he’ll make you follow him until you go to the exact spot with the flavor he wants. He’s opinionated, dramatic, and endlessly loving. But play the piano around him and it’s game over — he’ll come for your life. That’s just who he is: full of attitude, full of love, and full of life.

He has been my constant through everything, and watching him go through this has genuinely shattered me.

Please, if you can donate anything at all — even $5 — it will help keep him fighting. Every dollar goes directly to his ICU care and surgeries. If you can’t donate, please share his story. The more people who see this, the better his chances.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, sharing, and thinking about my sweet boy. Please keep Oliver in your thoughts these next few days — they are truly critical. I’ll keep everyone updated on his progress.

With love and gratitude,

Melanie Roma

and Oliver