This is Santiago, our orange former street cat. Born in Cuba, he spent some time in Japan, and now lives with us in Hawaii. Three years ago, when he was around seven, we adopted him from a family that could no longer care for him. Since then, he has filled our lives with joy, mischief, and constant conversation.

Santiago loves chin scritches, photosynthesizing in the sun on a soft carpet, and (strangely enough) crunchy bites of romaine lettuce. He’s also a very talkative guy - there’s never a quiet moment with him around.

About a year ago, what began as a small cut turned into an emergency vet visit that revealed something much more serious: Cushing’s Disease. This condition is incredibly rare in cats (a 2016 article cited fewer than 100 reported cases) and it makes treatment much more complicated. More recently, Santiago also developed diabetes, which is closely related to his Cushing’s.

Ongoing vet visits, bloodwork, medications, and special care are essential for his quality of life, but the costs have grown beyond what we can manage on our own.

Your support will go directly toward:

Any help, whether through a donation, sharing Santiago’s story, or sending kind words, means the world to us. Thank you for helping us give this rare and special little cat the happy, comfortable life he deserves. ❤️