Hello! My name is Jennifer Steude. I’m 28 years old and have been a cat lover since my sister snuck one home many, many years ago. I’ve always had a little black cat as my buddy. I work full time at a tourist attraction and live with my boyfriend and my three cats.

A little over two years ago, Ricochet stole my heart at the shelter in Rockford, IL and I brought him home. While not falling into the black cat category, I love him all the same and he has quickly stolen hearts of everyone he meets. He has been an absolute bundle of energy since day one. He has enough personality to fill the entire home and then some. He is my little pretty boy and my buddy. Every morning he wakes me up with his purrs, as soon as I get home from work he greets me like a motor box, and he has his own cat perch next to my gaming station. He loves his siblings, Mason Jar and Dottie.

On September 5th, around 9pm, during all three cats’ nightly zoomies, something went very wrong. A time that normally sounds like a herd of buffalo running through the house turned into Ricochet howling and hissing, sounds that I’ve never heard him make before. Seeing him limping, I immediately called an ER vet and took him in. It cost $1,600 just to get him looked at for X-Rays, sedation, and meds.

We spent 5 hours at the ER. Ricochet patiently waited, full of pain meds, and the vet told me that he had fractured his femur. We were sent home with pain meds and a list of referrals.

We have two options - pay for repair surgery or pay for amputation.

At 8:30am, September 6th, I started making calls to find a hospital that can do the surgery. Not many were able to give me an estimate right off the bat due to varying factors. The ballpark figure I was given was $6,000-$8,000. I have a consultation appointment scheduled for Monday.

I am hoping that I can go with the repair surgery, but I am willing to learn what it takes to care for an amputee cat.

Due to the high, unexpected cost I can’t come up with the money fast enough. I come to the internet hoping for help so I can get my pretty boy pain free and on the road to recovery. Please consider helping