Hi, my name is Peri and I am fundraising for my best friend and emotional support animal, Calliope.

I knew this winter was going to be difficult financially, and I had accepted that. My seasonal position was over, and I returned to part-time tutoring while looking for other work. My significant monthly expenses include my rent ($1000) and my car payment ($300), with my other expenses being for gas, animal care (I have two budgies, two leopard geckos, and two cats), and groceries. I took all the hours I could to cover sick coworkers, but ten regular hours of work a week was not enough to cover anything more than my major expenses. As of now, I still have not gone grocery shopping for 11 weeks. I got denied for both SNAP and unemployment (as I do not tutor during the month-long winter break, I figured I would try)... I haven’t had the spoons to rectify these decisions. I commuted to my family an hour away who could offer me free food and visited people close by who were willing to provide a meal. I collected cans from friends for cash. I handmade most of my Christmas gifts. I avoided going to health appointments so I didn’t have to pay more than I could afford. I have been struggling, but I have survived thus far. Tutoring would resume on January 15th, and I had been offered a second tutoring position that would bolster my low working hours (going from 10 to 15-25) until I could find the right full-time position. I thought I could survive until February 1st, when I will get my first check of the year… And then, I had to bring Calliope into the emergency room. That is what changed my situation from “stressful but survivable” to “horrifying and desperate”. People know me as fiscally responsible and resilient, but in this situation, I am pleading for your help.

Calliope was born in August, just like me. We are inseparable. She has been by my side for 9.5 years, and I have done all in my power to provide a cozy home with lots of things to play with, treats to try, and toys to fiddle with. I am an animal person, and Calliope is so very special. She is like a little mirror of myself, but furrier. She will talk to me for hours, traps me under her purrs and love, and licks my fingers every night before we curl up together and sleep. Calliope was officially designated as an emotional support animal by my therapist, quoted to be a presence that helps me manage my emotions during stressful and unstable periods. With some of this in mind, you can imagine why it would be tragic to not throw all of my resources at this effort to save my fuzzy baby. I know an indoor cat can live to be much older than 10, and to cut her off here is entirely inconceivable to me. It is my responsibility and duty to make sure she is in good health.

We have already put $750 into the initial visit, and I anticipate that she will need to be hospitalized tomorrow (1/12/23) if the appetite stimulants we get today (1/11/23) do not get her to start drinking or eating. I am asking for your help with funds for what is to come (hospitalization, medications, and aftercare).

Below is a timeline of major events thus far, and then a rundown of how I anticipate using the funds I receive from this GoFundMe.

TIMELINE

1/9/23 - Calliope’s behavior was off when I woke in the morning. She wasn’t her usual loving self, purring and meowing to wake me up for food while stepping all over me… She was lethargic, hiding in a corner of my room. She purred in response to pets but would shift and give a half-hearted meow when I came into contact with her stomach. I believe she hadn’t drunk, eaten, or gone to the bathroom at this point (as there was no evidence of it). For the previous month, she has struggled to not vomit the food back up almost daily, so I transitioned her to a new diet for seniors, as I believed that her old food was of too high protein content now that she was getting older and less active. A few days after this transition, I noticed that the frequency of vomiting had changed from almost daily to multiple times per day. Her vomit had gone from orange, half-digested bits of food to yellow bile and white foam. Instead of being a little inconvenienced when she vomited like before, you could see the pain it caused her. I knew we had to take her in immediately.

She arrived at the Tanasbourne Veterinary Emergency around 11 AM, and she was triaged. In stable condition, we arrived back home at 12:20 PM with an estimated 8-10 hours wait time. She slept most of this time, only lethargically moving from dark corner to dark corner after she had vomited more bile. She contemplated food and water when offered, but even putting her face above water made her retch. By 10 PM, her nose was dry, and any retching was non-productive. Her stomach had to be completely empty.

1/10/23 - We were called to the ER and arrived around 1 AM. We got back home at 3 AM after blood tests and an x-ray + ultrasound were performed. We had figured out some of the issues, but not all of them. Calliope was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism–it explained why she was always a ravenous eater, some of why she threw up undigested food sometimes despite her slow feeder bowl, and why she was 14.5 lbs of fluffy love… Well, now she was closer to 9.8 lbs of love (which I had only not noticed because she despises being picked up, and looks physically similar to the way she always has because of her fur). All of her tests came back pretty standard, except for the thyroid test. At this point and without further examination, we do not know if there may be a masked problem (we are trying to rule out kidney disease, liver disease, or pancreatitis).

I decided to attempt the outpatient approach which would only be about an additional $150, bringing our total bill to $750. Dr. Crowley informed me that hospitalization would benefit her, but it would be around $1400. As both my partner and I have raised animals our entire life, dealt with health issues, and rehabbed others…We figured that we could try. Besides, I needed more time to think about spending such a large sum of money when I really didn’t have the means to. Ultimately in my heart though, I knew that I would front almost any cost if that meant saving Calliope. More money can be made, but I cannot replace the bond Calliope and I share or replace her beautiful spirit.

After the visit, Calliope was a lot more alert, moving and purring more after being rehydrated and given pain and anti-nausea medication. She meowed a little more lively and seemed comforted that we were caring for her, even if the transportation and new things were stressful. I went to sleep shortly after 3 AM.

At 12 PM, I administered pain medication orally to Calliope, which caused an immediate response. She vomited some of it back up with bile and foam. For two hours after she contemplated drinking water, probably to get that nasty taste out of her mouth. At 8 PM I administered more pain medication orally, mixed with tuna water. This time, she had no problem keeping it down, so I kept that knowledge and was excited that maybe her stomach had settled enough to eat or drink. I got her to drink about 0.4mL of water from a syringe before she refused me completely.

At 12 AM, I called the hospital and inquired about getting prescribed appetite stimulants to help push her to eat or drink anything. This was approved by the doctor, and I would be called to pick them up tomorrow. I went to bed around 2 AM, still worried.

1/11/2023 - At 9 AM, Calliope was in a similar state to when we initially brought her in–dehydrated, not eating/drinking/using the bathroom. She was still sleeping in the corner of the room. I administered more pain medication with tuna water, with no trouble keeping it down. When I laid back in bed, she looked up at me and purred, her expression soft and loving. I hadn’t received a call back from the hospital, so I confirmed that we could pick up the appetite stimulants.

At 5 PM today, we will pick them up. I am hopeful that it will get her to eat something, but I am also nervous that she won’t accept the medication and vomit it back up, or that the medication won’t help enough. I knew I needed to put together a GoFundMe to ask for help because she is in a slow decline. If she doesn’t eat today, I will need to hospitalize her tomorrow to turn this all around. She is currently hiding under the bed, which is a behavioral sign to me that she is only getting worse. Please, offer your resources and help us both!

FUNDS

1/10/23, we fronted a $750 bill for an examination, tests, treatment, and outpatient medication.

1/11/23, we are picking up appetite stimulants for $30.

1/12/23, we will potentially need to hospitalize Calliope. The estimate for her hospitalization is $1400. The other $700 of this will be used for additional care and testing post-hospitalization with a standard vet. I hope this will be enough to cover tests of potentially “masked” problems that are hiding under her hyperthyroidism. Any additional funds left over afterward will be used to purchase medications that she will need to live a full and happy life (until my finances are less shaky)!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my best friend Calliope and consider donating to our cause. Any help means the absolute world to both of us.

If you have any questions or would like more details, feel free to reach out to me!