Support Mars's Fight FeLV ( Feline leukemia virus )

Hi, my name is Pasha. I never thought I’d be writing something like this.

I found Mars (a.k.a. Bublik) one night while walking home from a friend’s place. My friend and I were standing near the car when this handsome little guy appeared out of the darkness. He was incredibly friendly and affectionate. As we were getting ready to leave, he just jumped into our car — as if he had already decided to come with us.
I couldn’t leave him outside — there are coyotes in the area, and it just didn’t feel safe. I brought him home for the night, planning to find his owners the next day. That’s how Mars ended up with me.

For a week I checked lost pet websites and neighborhood groups trying to find his family. A few days later, I went back to the spot where I found him and saw a “Missing Cat” flyer. The cat in the photo looked very much like Mars. I had already grown so attached to him that I rushed over there in tears without even calling first.
When I got close to the address, I called the number on the flyer — no answer. I sent a message saying I might’ve found their cat. The person replied that their female cat often goes outside and always comes back. I asked, “Is your cat male or female?” and they replied, “She.” That’s when I realized it wasn’t the same cat.

With no other clues or leads, I had no way of finding Mars’s original home.
It’s now been 3 years, and he’s become part of my family.

Mars has always been a happy, healthy, energetic cat with a great appetite. The only thing that ever worried us was that at one point, his nose became paler. We took him to the vet, updated his vaccinations, and were prescribed Pet-Tinic (iron and vitamin supplement). We followed all the instructions, but the nose color didn’t improve.
Despite that, he remained active, ate well, and showed no signs of discomfort. Over the past two years, we’ve brought him in for several checkups — all results came back normal. The most recent visit was in May 2025.

Then on July 2nd, I noticed he was more tired and sleeping more than usual. But it was 100°F (around 38°C) outside, and he usually gets sluggish in the heat, so I didn’t worry too much. He was still eating, drinking, and using the litter box.

On July 5th (Friday evening), I saw his breathing had changed — it became faster and more abdominal.
The next morning, we rushed to the emergency vet without an appointment. Thankfully, they took us in right away.
He was sedated (he wouldn’t let them examine him otherwise), got an X-ray, bloodwork (IDEXX Senior Profile), and subcutaneous fluids (SQ Fluids).

The results: his heart is severely enlarged, and there’s fluid in his lungs. They suspect serious heart disease.

As of July 14, he’s at an emergency facility, waiting for a full cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram) and further diagnostics.

Any support — even just sharing this — means the world to me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

July 14th

Bublik was diagnosed with Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV). It’s likely he was born with it and managed to live with it for a while without showing any symptoms. His PCV is only 10% — dangerously low — and there’s something in one of his lungs that might be a tumor, but we won’t know for sure without a biopsy.

The vet recommended euthanasia, saying he’s very weak and may not have much time left. But at the same time, they were shocked to see how active and alert he still is. They believe his body has adapted over time, and thankfully, he isn’t in pain or suffering. That’s why we made the choice to bring him home.

As soon as he got home, he ate and drank water — and honestly, that gave us hope. We’re not giving up. I’m currently speaking with two other specialists and will be sending them all of his test results in the morning to figure out our next steps.

I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am for all the love, messages, and support — even from people I’ve never met. It means the world. Thank you so much. I’ll keep everyone updated as things unfold.

On Tuesday (July 15), Bublik was very weak and spent most of the day sleeping. His breathing is still fast — it seems like his body is in a kind of energy-saving mode to help him conserve strength.

We started giving him a full vitamin complex, electrolytes, and high-quality food.

The good news is: he still has an appetite. When we bring him food, he responds right away and eats everything. He’s really into soft, wet food — and last night, when we offered him dry food for the first time in days, he dove in like he was starving. That spark is still there.

Since starting the vitamins, we’re already seeing signs of improvement.

Early this morning, I woke up to a little noise — it was Bublik. He had gotten up on his own, used the litter box, drank some water, and then curled up in his favorite spot. It meant the world to see him do that.

Today, we’re expecting a home visit from the vet, who’ll be giving him fluids and B12 injections to support his body. We’re also planning to ask about getting an oxygen box to help him breathe more comfortably if needed.

The bigger picture:

We know FeLV is a serious diagnosis — there’s no cure. But it’s also true that many cats live good, long lives with it.

We can see how hard Bublik is fighting. Even with extremely low blood values, he’s still eating, using the litter box, grooming himself, and responding with bright eyes. He still wants to be here — and he feels the love around him.

At the ER, they told us he might only have a few hours or a day.

But he’s still here — still trying. And we’re going to do everything we can to give him a real chance.

Thank you all again for being with us through this. It means more than I can say.