Hello, my name is Courtney Schoen, and this is my little girl, Boo.

I adopted Boo at the beginning of November 2025. My boyfriend and I already have an older cat, but we felt like something was missing and Boo was the perfect addition. She was spunky, curious, and always getting into things she probably shouldn’t. She loved chasing our older cat’s tail and exploring every corner of our home. She completed our little family in a way we didn’t even realize we needed.

Boo was healthy, happy, and full of life for the first three weeks. Then, on the night of November 18th, I noticed something was wrong. She started twitching whenever she laid down, and later that night she stopped using one of her front paws. Worried, we rushed her to an emergency vet. After an exam and an X-ray, they couldn’t find a cause and recommended we see a neurologist immediately.

The next morning, Boo’s condition worsened. She had barely eaten and her tremors never stopped. We admitted her to the Vet Neurology Center in Tustin, CA, where they began intensive testing such as MRI, spinal tap, lab work, and round the clock monitoring. We told them we were willing to do anything to help her.

Over the next couple of days, Boo stayed in the hospital as they tried multiple medications and treatments. But she didn’t improve. By Friday morning, she could no longer breathe on her own. The neurologist told us the heartbreaking news, Boo had an aggressive autoimmune disease attacking her brain. It progressed so quickly that there was nothing more they could do for her.

On November 21st at 4:29 pm, we held her, talked to her, cried with her, and stayed with her until she passed.

Losing her has been absolutely devastating emotionally, mentally, and financially. In just a few days, her medical bills reached thousands of dollars from emergency care, hospitalization, MRI, spinal fluid analysis, medications, and lab tests. We did everything we possibly could for her, but we didn’t expect the costs to be this overwhelming, especially on top of the grief.

We don’t expect to raise the full amount, but any help would mean the world to us and would go directly toward Boo’s medical bills. Even the smallest contribution makes a difference. And if you’re unable to donate, simply sharing this post would help us more than you know.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Boo’s story and for supporting us through this heartbreaking loss.