Hi, my name is Amy Grossman. Many of you already know me as a dedicated animal advocate.

One of my friends for over 15 years (Laura Doris) has a beloved cat, Shadow. Shadow is such a sweet, loving cat. Laura adopted her several years ago when a neighbor dumped her outside, refused to let her back in their home, and was not feeding her. At the time, Shadow was a kitten. Now Shadow is approximately eight years old.

Shadow has had ongoing issues with bladder disease. Laura has always taken her to the vet, gives her the proper medication and diet, and has done everything possible to keep Shadow healthy.

Fast forward to this past weekend, written by Laura (Shadow’s mom):

I really don’t like making posts that ask for anything, but I sure could use some prayers for my beloved rescue cat named Shadow. I’ve had her for almost 8 years, and I can safely and happily say that I certainly did not save her life; she saved mine.

About a week ago, she was acting funny, crying more, not eating a healthy amount of food, and had zero interest in her Temptations treats. I like to call it kitty crack because she can never get enough.

Things progressively got worse. She started urinating outside of her litter box, and when I went to clean it up, it was dark red blood. This scared me to death! Shadow tends to eat a lot of grass trying to throw up her fur balls because she’s a Maine Coon cat with long hair, and she is constantly grooming herself.

Shortly after peeing dark red blood, she started to vomit up a fur ball, and once again, there was an obvious amount of blood. I immediately called her vet, who told me to bring her right in.

Normally, she fights going into the carrier because she knows it means she’s off to the vet. She had no fight in her when I gently placed her in her carrier, called an Uber, and sped to the vet. They took her to the back for a full examination. Normally, Shadow puts up a fight at the vet. My vet (who I love) entered the examination room. He could see how despondent Shadow was. The veterinarian was deeply concerned for her well-being.

Unfortunately, as most cat owners know, it’s nearly impossible to get a urine sample to bring in. They tried three times to catheterize her with no luck. Eventually, she was so scared, and thankfully, she was able to pee right on the table in front of the vet.

I could see my veterinarian's concern when he saw dark blood in her urine. He took blood, put what he could gather of her pee under the microscope, and after a few more tests, he insisted that I rush her to the emergency animal hospital. I don’t drive, so we had to take Uber.

When I asked my vet if he could do something for her in case she was in pain, he agreed and put fentanyl on the back of her neck where she was unable to lick. There was really no time to wait around for the bloodwork results.

We went straight to the emergency animal hospital. I said a prayer to Saint Francis, who is the patron saint of animals (my dad and mom always thought we had a connection because I regularly feed a colony of feral cats who have no one).

I miss my dad like crazy. Although he disliked cats, he knew how deeply I care for Shadow, and he supported that.

At the hospital, they started with fluid therapy because her blood pressure was so low, and she was so lethargic. They then administered more meds like vitamin K to help with the clotting. It seemed as though they gave her a million other medications, but I cannot even begin to spell them nor remember them.

Then they had no choice and had to attempt a blood transfusion as a last attempt to avoid surgery. After observing Shadow for several hours, her blood volume was dropping. They told me that her last hope was surgery.

I adore Shadow; she is my family. I was, and still am, terrified about what this was all going to cost. When I asked one of the vets about it, they said there really was no way of knowing yet because it was still too early, and they hadn’t opened her up yet and couldn’t give an estimate. I agreed to the surgery because they weren’t confident that they found the source of the bleeding.

Shadow comes first; she is far more important to me than money. Still, the veterinary bills are way over what I can handle, and I’m really struggling. I have never done a GoFundMe before. This is not for my personal gain; this is all for Shadow.

They ended up tying off a blood vessel, which ultimately and thankfully stopped the bleeding. Slowly, and with a lot of pain meds, she gradually started to improve. She stayed overnight for two more days, and I can happily report that she’s now home with me. She spent the entire morning in bed with me, and she’s never been more cuddly.

I cannot be more grateful to have her home, but I’ve now completely emptied my entire savings and then some. With the combined bills from both veterinarians and the cost of the surgery, it was over $3,500. Please pray for Shadow.

I realize the cost of veterinary care has become astronomical. I would so deeply appreciate any donation. There is no donation too small; every single dollar makes a difference.

As Laura’s friend, I (Amy Grossman) have set up this GoFundMe for Shadow. I personally am thanking you all in advance.

Thank you,

Laura Doris.