Hi! I am raising money to help pay for my cat, Simba's medical bills. In February 2026, he went to the vet for a dental cleaning and extraction, which never happened. They took his bloodwork and discovered that he has hyperthyroidism. This is generally a pretty treatable condition, so the vet prescribed 2.5 mg of methimazole twice a day. He would have been on this medicine for the rest of his life. However, about 2 weeks into taking this med, he started vomiting and had very itchy ears and face. He was so itchy that he scratched the back of his ear open. I had a bad feeling that this was an allergic reaction to the methimazole, and after consulting with the vet, she came to the same conclusion, and we immediately stopped the med. He is one of the very few cats that the vet clinic has seen that couldn't tolerate it. The only options left were to feed him Hill's Science Diet y/d food, or he could be a candidate for I-131 radiation treatment. His vet wasn't very confident that the food alone would help because his thyroid levels were so high. She referred me to their other clinic's location to have them evaluate Simba for I-131 treatment. This treatment is about 95% effective, but it is very expensive. They said it would be about $5,000, between the initial lab work, the treatment, a week stay at the vet, post-treatment labs, etc. The treatment is pretty simple - they inject him with radioactive iodine, which then goes directly to the thyroid gland and gets rid of the "bad" tissue. He has to be in isolation at the vet for about a week, which is a small price to pay if the treatment is successful and he can live for another 5-10 years.

Simba has been with me for about 8 years, and he is my best friend. He has a "sister," Nala, who are practically inseparable. They are what get me through hard times. The thought of losing him when he is only 9 years old is absolutely devastating, and I would do just about anything to make him feel better. However, the treatment is much more expensive than I can afford - I'm already living paycheck to paycheck, so anything that anyone can spare is much appreciated. I am not someone that typically asks for help, but it's not for me, it's for Simba. He is the happiest, sweetest, mama's boy, and I just want to give him the best life that I can. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I know many people cannot afford to donate, but even if you could share our story, it would mean the world to us. ❤️

*If it turns out that he is not eligible for treatment, any funds donated will be used to pay any remaining medical bills, and the rest will be donated to a local animal shelter.