Meet LeeLoo. The sweetest, sassiest, most friendly little kitty ever, who happened into our lives in December of 2022, lost and alone, abandoned as a kitten. She was my greatest present of 2022.

LeeLoo had a rough start in life, full of neurological problems, very little balance and was the drooliest kitten you’ve ever met, but oh, how sweet the sound of her little bubbly purr! Though impossibly sweet and cuddly, we knew something was off and saved to get her seen by medical specialists.

In September 2023, little LeeLoo was diagnosed with an extrahepatic portosystemic liver shunt. Which is a very scary way to say that her blood vessels grew around her liver, and her liver does not filter out all the toxins from her blood like normal. Because this condition is congenital (meaning she was born this way), she had been living almost a year with this malady undiagnosed and untreated, and there was some damage to her little body.

Because of the high protein diets cats need to survive, and no way to filter her blood, the toxins from the proteins built up in her kidneys and bladder, turning into stones and crystals that have the potential to lodge into her urethra, and cause an extremely painful death. The wonderful news is, her medications and special diet have stopped the growth of new stones, and once we get this big time bomb out of her bladder she could get another 5-6 years in the life with us! Unfortunately, the surgery for the cystotomy runs close to $4000.

Over the last year, we have managed to come very close to what we need to financially cover her surgery a few times, but with the nature of the stone, we seem to backtrack by about half the cost with every follow-up ultrasound and rounds of testing. We are so very close to having enough money to have that stone removed, and as a last resort, are reaching out in hopes of community aid.

I know times are difficult out there for everyone, but if you can spare any amount to help save my sweet girl, it would be appreciated. If you’ve no money to spare, any prayers, well wishes, and shares are also welcome, and we are deeply grateful.