Support Merlin's Critical Care and Recovery

If you know me, you know I'm an animal lover. As a child, I grew up having a pet, and my desire for a furry companion has continued through my adult life. Merlin is one of the furriest and friendliest ones yet. Antonella and I adopted him 8 years ago from the Humane Society after the sudden loss of my beautiful cat, Emma. Merlin was the cutest and sweetest kitten ever. As soon as you picked him up, he would start purring and was extremely fun and playful. He's provided so much love and joy to our life.

But now Merlin, at the young age of 8 and still with so many years ahead of him (hopefully), has fallen ill. On Wednesday, January 8, I went to brush Merlin and found him barely responsive and barely opening his eyes. I could tell he was in extreme pain. I hurried him to an emergency vet nearby, and they evaluated him.

He was diagnosed with having several bladder stones and had a total obstruction of his bladder. This is something, if not treated quickly, that can lead to kidney failure and death. They attempted to catheterize and flush out the stones but ended up causing a severe tear. I got a call late that evening stating what happened and that I would need to bring him to an animal hospital that could do a specialized surgery. Apparently, he had a tear so bad and in a hidden area that the doctor had to remove part of his pubic bone to access it. It was the worst she's seen in 25 years and one of the most complicated surgeries she's done like this. He will have to be in the hospital (critical care) for at least 7 days. Hopefully, after that, all will be good, and he can go home to recover. This week is critical for him—to show that he can walk okay and that his kidney values improve.

In the meantime, we've barely been able to cover the expenses. The first emergency vet cost $2,400, and I had to pay the animal hospital $10,200 just to do the surgery. It's likely going to be another $4,000+. It breaks our heart to think of letting him go, and we don't want money to be a factor. ANY amount of $ you can contribute to help us cover the medical expenses for Merlin will be greatly APPRECIATED. All of the money raised will go directly to paying off his medical expenses. We thank you so much in advance for your love and support.