Tuco Kitty's Stomach Surgery
Donation protected
Meet (By full name!) Tuco Loco Bote Salvaje Grandísimo. Tuco is an eight month old black cat. I rescued him in January from a local foster named Sarah. Tuco came to me from North Carolina, he was born into an unlucky situation- A hoarding home. He was one of many cats without love or attention, he wasn't being treated like this special kitty that he truly is. After his long trip to MA, I adopted him and it was love at first sight, I struggle with anxiety, depression and an eating disorder and from the moment I held him in my arms, I felt at peace for the first time in so long.
On his first night home, Tuco was a true angel. I held him in my arms and he looked up at me with pure joy, his little kitty smile and his warm furry body. He suffered from a quite bad upper respiratory infection at first, which is very common in kittens but this little guy also has a heart murmur and struggled with runny watery and gooey eye discharge. I nursed him back to health, he went from a little sleepy sad boy to a happy, healthy and wonderful animal. I gave him steam baths in the bathroom for hours and helped him breathe through his stuffy nose, brushed him, cleaned his sore diarrhea bottom, gave him water with an eye dropper, medicine with a syringe and most of all spent hours and hours reading my textbooks for college and snuggling his sneezy little self.
As the time passed, Tuco became healthy and strong and truly beautiful. He loves to play with his favorite stuffed unicorn named Hector, he cuddles him at night and licks him till he falls asleep. He plays for hours and hours until he falls asleep on my chest and snores in my face. When I've had a tough day, or if I am feeling anxious Tuco comes right up to my face, head butts me, gives me kisses allover and snuggles up to make me feel better. When I have panic attacks that lead to sobbing, he licks my tears and purrs on me until I fall asleep. He reminds me every morning that the world is beautiful when he wakes me up ready for his food. Tuco and I endured a nine hour drive together through the night to Pittsburgh to visit my mom, step-dad and Auntie- whom he all adores. Tuco takes care of us all, he takes care of me and my roommate, of my boyfriend and of my mom and even my dad who doesn't like cats has a soft spot for him.
This Fall Tuco was planning to begin his journey to become a therapy kitty! As he has always gravitated to those who are struggling or need a little bit of extra love. His heart is full of gratitude, and he shows it in his treatment of humans. This kitty is special, and he deserves life. The truth is, I need this kitty.
But today Tuco needs us. This morning Tuco was suffering from what has turned out to be a foreign object lodged in his upper stomach. He ingested something unsafe for kitties and he is unable to eat, drink or play. His stomach is full of gas and he is in pain, he coughed up spit and phlegm every time he tried to eat. Today I spent hours and hours at the Animal Hospital waiting to find out if he was going to make it or not. After XRAYS which cost me my full budget, I was faced with the hard truth that Tuco would need surgery in order to survive. I felt my heart break as I knew I could not afford this on my own. After a long time of contemplating, I have not given up hope for my special, sweet kitten. I know that Tuco has a life ahead of him, a long life full of love and giving and gratitude. I could not bare to take that away from him and leave him with a short, beautiful life.
Tuco has entered surgery tonight and we currently sit here waiting to hear from the vet if it was successfully completed. I have a payment plan set for the surgery that will cost roughly $5000 to go in and remove the foreign object and provide care afterwards to make sure he is able to get happy and healthy again. I am sharing my story here and most of all I am sharing Tuco's story here because I am asking for help to pay his medical bills. As a 21 year old college student, I study to become an educator of English Language Arts and I am entering my Senior year of college. I never imagined that a tragedy like this could happen to my sweet, happy, healthy kitten and I truly believe that Tuco will survive this surgery and go on to make so many people happy, make so many trauma survivors feel even a small bit of relief.
Please consider donating as anything, even the smallest amount can help. In situations like these, when a life is at stake it takes a village to come together to help a struggling creature survive the unthinkable, terrifying and horrible situation that my poor Tuco has found himself in. I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to read, share and look at this post. Thank you so much for your time and please send good energy to my sweet baby boy as he undergoes surgery.
On his first night home, Tuco was a true angel. I held him in my arms and he looked up at me with pure joy, his little kitty smile and his warm furry body. He suffered from a quite bad upper respiratory infection at first, which is very common in kittens but this little guy also has a heart murmur and struggled with runny watery and gooey eye discharge. I nursed him back to health, he went from a little sleepy sad boy to a happy, healthy and wonderful animal. I gave him steam baths in the bathroom for hours and helped him breathe through his stuffy nose, brushed him, cleaned his sore diarrhea bottom, gave him water with an eye dropper, medicine with a syringe and most of all spent hours and hours reading my textbooks for college and snuggling his sneezy little self.
As the time passed, Tuco became healthy and strong and truly beautiful. He loves to play with his favorite stuffed unicorn named Hector, he cuddles him at night and licks him till he falls asleep. He plays for hours and hours until he falls asleep on my chest and snores in my face. When I've had a tough day, or if I am feeling anxious Tuco comes right up to my face, head butts me, gives me kisses allover and snuggles up to make me feel better. When I have panic attacks that lead to sobbing, he licks my tears and purrs on me until I fall asleep. He reminds me every morning that the world is beautiful when he wakes me up ready for his food. Tuco and I endured a nine hour drive together through the night to Pittsburgh to visit my mom, step-dad and Auntie- whom he all adores. Tuco takes care of us all, he takes care of me and my roommate, of my boyfriend and of my mom and even my dad who doesn't like cats has a soft spot for him.
This Fall Tuco was planning to begin his journey to become a therapy kitty! As he has always gravitated to those who are struggling or need a little bit of extra love. His heart is full of gratitude, and he shows it in his treatment of humans. This kitty is special, and he deserves life. The truth is, I need this kitty.
But today Tuco needs us. This morning Tuco was suffering from what has turned out to be a foreign object lodged in his upper stomach. He ingested something unsafe for kitties and he is unable to eat, drink or play. His stomach is full of gas and he is in pain, he coughed up spit and phlegm every time he tried to eat. Today I spent hours and hours at the Animal Hospital waiting to find out if he was going to make it or not. After XRAYS which cost me my full budget, I was faced with the hard truth that Tuco would need surgery in order to survive. I felt my heart break as I knew I could not afford this on my own. After a long time of contemplating, I have not given up hope for my special, sweet kitten. I know that Tuco has a life ahead of him, a long life full of love and giving and gratitude. I could not bare to take that away from him and leave him with a short, beautiful life.
Tuco has entered surgery tonight and we currently sit here waiting to hear from the vet if it was successfully completed. I have a payment plan set for the surgery that will cost roughly $5000 to go in and remove the foreign object and provide care afterwards to make sure he is able to get happy and healthy again. I am sharing my story here and most of all I am sharing Tuco's story here because I am asking for help to pay his medical bills. As a 21 year old college student, I study to become an educator of English Language Arts and I am entering my Senior year of college. I never imagined that a tragedy like this could happen to my sweet, happy, healthy kitten and I truly believe that Tuco will survive this surgery and go on to make so many people happy, make so many trauma survivors feel even a small bit of relief.
Please consider donating as anything, even the smallest amount can help. In situations like these, when a life is at stake it takes a village to come together to help a struggling creature survive the unthinkable, terrifying and horrible situation that my poor Tuco has found himself in. I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to read, share and look at this post. Thank you so much for your time and please send good energy to my sweet baby boy as he undergoes surgery.
Organizer
Autumn Battista
Organizer
Fitchburg, MA