(April 16, 2025)

Meet Mario, my beloved 15-year-old orange cat. I was blessed to become his second human mom in 2018 when I lived in South Florida, only a few months after losing my previous boy cat, Oliver. Mario adjusted to my home remarkably, especially since his new sister Daisy was not the most welcoming at first. Gradually, they became buddies, and when Daisy left us, Mario welcomed his baby sister Gracie.

They kept me company during Covid when I spent months teaching kids virtually and going stir-crazy in my living room. Mario showed Gracie how to be a big kitty, including how to check on the many succulent plants I kept on my porch. (This sometimes included chasing the tiny lizards that would visit.)

His cute and friendly personality inspired me so much that I actually wrote and professionally recorded a song all about him. It's still one of my all-time favorite songs I've ever written.

In 2022 Gracie and Mario traveled with me from Florida to Virginia, scared but keeping each other company. They toughed it out when I had to move again less than a year later to another apartment. Both of them love watching the birds and squirrels from the windows.

I have created this campaign to seek help in sending off Mario on his next journey. His kidneys are shutting down, and making matters worse, he has an infected tooth which is swollen. Mario did such a great job hiding his symptoms that I only discovered this two days ago. I'm going to give him antibiotics to see if I can make the next week a bit more bearable, but his kidneys do not function properly, and he's becoming anemic.

As a public school teacher (middle school math), I'm always doing my best to cover my pets' essential needs, but I would appreciate any help you may care to send my way. The cheapest cost for euthanasia and receiving his ashes back is $400. (Yes, I've done my research.) I already spent $200 simply getting him seen and having blood drawn, and any donations will make this difficult time a little easier for me to manage.

Random people love to tell me: "You teachers are underpaid!" To those people, I say--feel free to help an actual, real-live public school teacher and make a positive impact! If I can stop worrying about how to pay for my baby boy's end-of-life care, that's one less thing on my plate. Literally any amount helps, and here is what I will do in return for each donor.

In return for your generosity, I will record a unique LIVE music video dedicated to each donor, sharing on social media (unless you prefer to remain anonymous). Mario has always loved to hang out with me when I play piano and sing; he took over that role from his big sister Daisy. He absolutely LOVES sitting on his velvet chair as I practice. I am going to include my sweet boy in this fundraising effort and include him in the music videos that I'll make.

If I raise more than the goal of $400, I will donate 100% of the additional funds to a local no-kill animal shelter. I plan to find a baby sibling for Gracie when the time is right, because I will never stop doing my part to care for animals that need homes.

Thanks for reading, and if you are able to donate, thank you for being a blessing to my sweet boy Mario. Even if you cannot donate, please know that your love and support is a huge blessing to ME.

I've been overwhelmed with the kindness of my friends across the country who enjoy seeing Mario's antics on Facebook. He has a huge personality--I call him "The Butler" because he loves everyone. I know that I, Gracie, my brother Peter (aka Uncle Peter), and countless others will miss him immensely. Thank you.