I agreed to pet sit for a neighbor’s two cats starting on 2/12. Geronimo was a love bug from the first moment I met him. He greeted me at the door, proceeded to rub up against me, and crawled right into my lap to get some snuggles. He allowed me to pet him for upwards of 30 minutes straight during my first visit. He truly is one of the sweetest and most loving cats I have ever met, which says a lot considering my extensive background in the animal field! I was concerned that Geronimo appeared to be severely underweight and dehydrated. After receiving the owner’s consent, I brought over a selection of wet food for both cats, hoping to introduce some much needed calories and hydration to Geronimo in particular. He was thrilled with the wet food, and ate well on Thursday.

When I checked on them Friday morning, I was immediately deeply concerned. Geronimo’s demeanor had completely changed. He was no longer interested in food or attention, and stayed curled up on the far side of the room during the entirety of my visit. A few hours later, I invited a good friend and neighbor, Chloe, over to join me and get a second opinion. After seeing the cat, she was in agreement that action needed to be taken. After communicating with the owner, I secured the soonest veterinary appointment possible on Saturday morning. During Geronimo’s initial examination, we learned that he weighed only 5.7 lbs and the vet staff shared our concerns about his health.

The veterinarian opted for inpatient blood work due to the severity of the case. The results showed that the situation was dire, and it was suggested that Geronimo wouldn’t have lived past the weekend without immediate care. He required hospitalization and was diagnosed with Acute Kidney Injury, a heart murmur, and likely Pancreatitis. Chloe has graciously decided to take financial responsibility for both the initial examination visit and his inpatient hospitalization fee. While Chloe did a wonderful thing by stepping up in this case, any animal owner understands how costly veterinary care can be, especially for pets requiring around-the-clock attention. Considering this, I have created a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for Geronimo’s care, ensuring he receives the treatment he so dearly needs and deserves. Any contribution, no matter how small, would be immensely appreciated, and we would be incredibly grateful. Please consider sharing this post with your friends and family! Thank you so much for your support.