Valentino's Emergency Vet Care

UPDATE:

Valentino went to the emergency vet on Friday, August 18th after showing signs of discomfort. He was treated for a urinary tract blockage and diagnosed with Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). He was sent home Sunday evening after having been hooked up with a catheter for almost 3 days. He has now been home for two days and has been mostly OK. However, he is showing signs of a recurring blockage. At this point, the only real option he has is to undergo a surgery called a "Perineal urethrostomy" (aka a PU procedure), which is a surgical method for alleviating urethral obstruction in cats with complicated or recurrent obstructive feline lower urinary tract disease. The surgery works to widen the urethra to prevent any further blockages from occurring. unfortunately it it is an expensive procedure.

He does not have a lot of time.

I am not ready to say goodbye to him. He is the absolute highlight of my every day, the biggest joy in my life. He is undoubtedly my emotional support and my heart is breaking into a million pieces knowing that he is suffering and I can't help him. I am not ready to come home without him. I will do everything that I can to save him, even if that means begging strangers on the Internet for their help. So please, please help me save him. This sweet, sweet baby does not deserve this.

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original post:

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any donation will receive a paw-printed thank you card from me and Valentino, and any donation over $100 will get a paw-printed and hand-painted watercolor post card from us both

My name is Alison and I've always been an animal lover and have surrounded myself with critters and companions my whole

life, from cats and dogs, to birds, horses and reptiles. But despite the vast experience I have as an animal caretaker, and the many pets I've had in my lifetime, I've never quite had a bond like the one I have with my kitty, Valentino.

Today I woke up to some concerning meows, and found him at the foot of my bed in clear discomfort. I shook his food to gauge his reaction, and he barely looked up - I instantly knew something was wrong. I picked him up onto the bed to feel on his abdomen and felt a firmness. I knew this meant an immediate trip to the vet, but I was praying for a diagnosis of constipation or gas. Unfortunately, after his exam, my worst fears came to life, and he had a urinary tract blockage.

If you are unfamiliar with this, it is a somewhat common issue for cats to have a urinary tract blockage, where they are unable to urinate due most commonly to microscopic crystals in their urine, caused by stress or changes in diet or a number of factors. If it's not caught, it can become fatal in a matter of hours or days; it is also very painful. This is why I made the decision to rush him to the vet, and I'm glad I did.

However, as soon as I was told the diagnosis, I broke down in tears because this is not the first time I've experienced this with one of my kitties. Unfortunately, the last cat was a female and urinary blockages are extremely rare for female cats; the procedure was far too expensive and she was not able to be saved; I had to make the heartbreaking decision to put her to rest. I still miss my Lucy.

But I can't even fathom making this decision with Valentino. My attachment to him is on a far higher level than any pet I've ever had. This kitty is sweet, curious, goofy, playful, cuddly, and fluffy as hell. He was found on the side of the road roughly three years ago, and within minutes of meeting him he was on our shoulders and sitting on our heads. He has gone viral on TikTok a few times for his playful personality. When I get home from work, he greets me at the door and sits at my feet meowing until I pick him up and rock him like a baby, or dance around my apartment with him on my shoulder. He has been trained to sit, hi-five, and beg. He loves his belly being rubbed, and always comes running at the sound of a string cheese wrapper (even though he knows he doesn't get any string cheese, he still tries.) He loves playing with my 85 pound pitbull, and his favorite toy is an old ragged pair of fleece gloves he stole from my closet 2 years ago; I occasionally catch him with the gloves in his mouth, but I always find them in random places around my home where he has left them. The idea of those gloves never mysteriously ending up in the bathtub again breaks my heart.

I don't have children; This cat IS my baby.

I would do anything for him. Which is why, when the vet told me the procedure was going to be $3700, I called everyone I knew trying to ask for help. I've considered selling my car, but I do need it for work so that was not a realistic or wise option.

After numerous calls, a friend of mine generously and hesitantly fronted the money to me so that Valentino could be seen by the vet, as it is a time-sensitive emergency and they refused to begin treatment even for his extreme pain until I made some kind of payment (can you believe that!?), but now I'm in serious debt to my friend and he needs repayment fast.

When Valentino gets out of the kitty hospital, he will forever be on an expensive urinary diet for the rest of his life, no longer allowed to have the treats that he loves and performs his tricks for.

I've never made a go fund me, although I've definitely been in tight financial situations. Nothing has ever felt so desperate until now.

If you have any means to help me pay for this procedure, it would be greatly appreciated and I will make sure to send paw-stamped thank you cards to anyone who has been kind enough to assist me in bringing Valentino home happy and healthy