Our names are Joanna and Andrew, and this is our beautiful hellion of a cat Ula. Ula has been a part of our family for four years, healthy as a lioness until mid-October when our usually very hungry girl wasn't eating much. After a vet visit, her blood work showed her kidney levels were dangerously high, and she needed emergency admittance to the local animal hospital, Angell. The hospital told us that both of Ula’s ureters were blocked, causing her to go into kidney failure.

We decided to have an emergency SUB (subcutaneous ureteral bypass) surgery, where they installed an implant to help her kidneys function and save her life. After a nerve-wracking five days in the hospital with a whirlwind of emotions and a nearly $10,000 bill, Ula was back home. Albeit confined to a friend's massive dog crate for a while so she wouldn't jump around and break her stitches.

We were told that she would require follow-up visits to flush the implant with fluids every three or four months (~$750/visit) and a new prescription diet (~$75/month), but having our girl back home playing and looking out the window at squirrels made it worth the sizable investment.

It looked like Ula was on her way to a full and speedy recovery until our follow-up visit on 11/11. During this visit, we received good and bad news. The good news is that Ula's kidney levels are normal, and the SUB on her right kidney is working. The bad news is that the blockage of the left kidney they couldn't operate on at the time and hoped would clear on its own, has worsened. Because of this complication, she is increasingly at risk of kidney failure and will need a second surgery to save the left kidney as soon as possible. A surgery we were told would cost us another $7000, an amount we can not feasibly do without some help.

For anyone who has experienced the joy of having a pet like Ula in their family, we hope you will be willing to help us provide our girl with the best chance possible to live the long, healthy life she deserves. Thank you for reading, and we are so appreciative of any help you're generous enough to give.