Hi! My name is Mia and my cat/long-term roommate/best friend's name is Brad. He's been my special little guy for the last decade—I adopted him in my home state of Oregon when he was 2 years old and I was 19, and now he is 12 and I am 30. He was there for every single moment of my 20s, and we’ve lived in 4 different cities and 8 different homes together. Last year, he even hosted his own birthday party.

Sadly, he is not doing so well right now. On Christmas (!), a critical urinary blockage threatened to whisk him away. But he’s the strongest cat in the world! A week in the emergency veterinary hospital (shout out to LAASER in LA for their kind care!), two catheters, and one perineal urethrostomy surgery later, and he is back home by my side—albeit wearing a cone for the next month.

It also cost over $12,000. That's not even counting the expensive prescription food he must eat for the rest of his life (which costs around $150 a month), aftercare, future frequent vet exams, and more expenses I cannot really fathom nor predict.

Because I am a journalist—a famously underpaid profession—and because my job requires me to live in LA—a famously expensive city—most of my paycheck goes directly to rent, bills, utilities, food, gas, and other necessities. Yes, I am very lucky and privileged to have a steady salaried job, but it also means that my salary is capped at a certain amount and that I cannot really pick up freelance work. I’ve spent the past week trying and trying to brainstorm how I can feasibly make enough extra money without it conflicting with my current job, and I’m coming up short.

If you follow me on social media , you may be wondering, “Girl, you’re always posting pictures of you at awards shows and premieres in fancy clothes. Why are you begging for money?” Genuinely great question! To clarify, I am just a journalist, not a celebrity—I attend these events for work rather than fun (not to imply that the celebrities aren't also working!!! They do get paid a lot more than I do, though). I show up, conduct interviews, then go home to play video games before the ceremony/premiere actually starts. Most of my outfits are either handed down from my fashionable mother or purchased at the mall or secondhand stores for, like, $70 max. I even cut my own hair and do my own make-up. It is not quite as glamorous a life as my Instagram may suggest!

So here I am, using a website that tried to get me to “strengthen my story” via “AI enhancement”. Another reminder that job security for a writer like me is tenuous at best! Times are tough, and folks are still recovering from wildfires and collapsing economies and lay-offs and more financial burdens. Please do not feel any pressure to donate—even sharing this around helps! I know in the grand scheme of things, the life of a funny little cat may not be worth much. But to me? He’s my whole world. Thank you for helping me save him. ❤️