*Help Me Get My Little Brat Necessary Medical Care ❤️‍*

This is Lunabelle Lee.

Most commonly known as Luna. (See also: Gutter Gremlin, Lulu, Nugget, Boo, Asshole, Little Shit, and, on more than one occasion, love of my life.)

She is a Turkish Van/Ragdoll mix rescue, approximately ten years old, and she is seven pounds of fluff, rage, affection, and whatever personality disorder causes these tiny tigers to scream at you for attention and then act personally offended when you give it to them.

She is an absolute little shit.

She is also an absolutely adorable little baby.

She purrs enough to run her own little Harley shop. She kneads enough dough to sell bread on the side. She leaves her mark everywhere she goes (seriously, if I'm not scratched to hell, I'm covered in white fur and cleaning up whatever it is she's knocked onto the floor), and she is one of the most loving, and loveable, cats I've ever known.

She's a dedicated lap cat, incredibly food-motivated and freaking loud about it, playful, bratty, and very, very, very loved.

And right now, I desperately need help getting her to the vet.

Much like her Mama, Luna has had a few medical issues throughout her life that we've monitored with veterinarians: recurrent ear and upper-respiratory infections, an old broken tooth, a cyst on her head, and an old injury to her right hind leg. Until recently, I was told those things were manageable, and we were managing. She's still been active, playful, jumping around, biting the shit out of me, demanding food, and generally her ridiculous little self.

But several things have changed.

The cyst on Luna's head has grown substantially and is now hanging down the back of her head. It's causing her to shake her head often and seems to be causing her daily discomfort. A burst cyst or ruptured abscess can release a high volume of pus and tissue debris containing bacteria like Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and E. coli. Her left ear has become irritated again, there is a new sore around her broken tooth which is affecting her eating, and her left eye appears to be developing an infection or an increase in irritation.

At the same time, she's having more trouble jumping and is guarding her old injured hind leg, hip, and tail area.

She's still begging for wet food. She's still loving. She's still bratty. She's still trying to chew up my mouse pad right now.

She's still Luna.

But she's a little more irritable, a little more lethargic, and she is guarding several painful areas of her body in ways she hasn't before.

I know my baby. And I know something has changed.

The immediate problem is a horrible financial Catch-22:

I need a veterinarian's diagnosis, treatment plan, and cost estimate to apply for veterinary-assistance grants. I can also look into pet insurance to help offset eligible future veterinary costs, but insurance generally does not cover pre-existing conditions, and most assistance programs still require money to be paid upfront.

And there's the rub: I need money to get her to the veterinarian in the first place.

So, right now, the first goal is simple:

GET LUNA AN EXAMINATION.

I'm not asking anyone to magically pay for every possible thing that could be wrong with her tonight. I'm trying to raise enough to get her through the stupid-expensive door to someone who will actually give her a thorough exam.

Once she has been evaluated properly, I can get the documentation required to apply for assistance, determine what is medically urgent, and figure out what treatment she actually needs in the long run.

I'm trying to make a plan.

And, honestly, I'm kinda scared.

Exactly one year ago, we lost Luna's big sister, Princess.

Princess was an old lady, and she lived a good life. Still, after eighteen years, losing her hurt like hell. I still miss her every day.

The idea of going through another medical crisis with one of my animals so soon after losing her has been genuinely terrifying.

I don't need to do this again. I'm tired.

I need Luna to have the chance to be properly examined before things get worse. I need to know what I'm dealing with. And I need help getting past the financial wall between me and that information.

I'm doing everything I can, but being chronically ill, without reliable income and unable to work, creates a whole lot of barriers I'm having a whole lot of trouble trying to get past on my own.

I'm fundraising, applying for assistance programs, and continuing to make and sell my stickers through Three Sixty-Five Graphics. I'm also working on digital, pay-what-you-can options so people can support us quickly and conveniently, and without me having to turn my house into a full-time shipping department.

If you can donate, thank you. Truly.

If you can't, please share Luna's story.

A share can put this fundraiser in front of someone who can help, and right now, every bit of visibility matters.

She's my responsibility, but she's also my family. My child. My whole world. I've spent the last ten years serving as her bed, learning her ridiculously adorable chirps and mews, enabling her obsession with cheese, and putting up with her attitude, her weird grudge against tuna, and her idea of exactly how much personal space she thinks I'm entitled to.

(None. The answer is none.)

I can't fix everything for her alone right now.

But I can keep fighting to get her help.

Because I may be the one that fills the food bowls and keeps her well-stocked in fake mice, but she's the one who has comforted me through sickness and sadness, who helped see me through three career changes, five separate surgeries, and entirely too much time alone during a global crisis, and, and, and...and I could go on.

Animals are never just animals to pet owners, are they?

So, apparently we are now asking The Internet for its Collective Solidarity (and endless infatuation with feline furballs) to come to the aid of a seven-pound, screaming, cheese-obsessed descendant of tragic literary legacy...who really, really needs a vet.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for showing up to help us fight for her. ❤️‍

xoxo,

Kay & Luna ❤️‍

***WE’VE LAUNCHED OUR DONATION PACKAGE DIGITAL STICKERS!!!***

At Three Sixty-Five Graphics, we’ve overhauled our brand and we have finally launched our Donation Packages!!

Claws Out For a Cause is designed to get my little Gutter Gremlin healthy again with a little sass and a little fun!

ORDER HERE to support Luna’s ongoing care!!