We read about inter-species adoptions all the time and how mammals have similar brain structures, nervous systems, and can relate to emotions that we have through empathy, compassion and love. One animal may "take in another" to relieve its pain, hunger or loneliness. I honestly believe that deep down everyone has a desire to help others. No one wants to be alone. Pets become family members and create an atmosphere of happiness, reduced stress and soothe mental illness. Odin saved me, and this is how it happened...

I always wanted an animal. Something bigger than a hamster that I would be able to build a lasting, long-term friendship with. I decided on a cat. A friend of mine had gotten a Devon Rex and I fell in love with his dog-like personality. I started looking into specific breeds and then saw SPHYNX cats. Infamously knows as “the ET of the cat world.” I looked at photos for months till one day I decided to take it the next step further and look into local breeders.

I'll admit it: the black kitten staring back at me in the photo looked more like a bat than a feline. His mouth wide open; tongue sticking out. His ears were the size of his head! His forehead covered in a hundred wrinkles. He was about the size of both my palms cupped together.

I know sphynx cats aren't for everyone, and more often than not people's first instinct is to bring up the 'Friends' episode where Rachel brought home a sphynx cat, named Mrs. Whiskerson. The butt of numerous jokes for looking "inside out", and like a snake.

Regardless, I started dialing the breeder's number and scheduled an appointment to visit my new son. The moment that little bat came into my arms I took the pledge; the unwritten pet rule to love and nurture this little man forever. I waited till he was ready to leave the cattery and become part of my pack. I still vividly remember the night he came home. The air was brisk and he was bundled up in a green blanket. I was so happy, I was crying. I was now a cat-mother.

Odin has been with me through many difficult times. The most difficult of which being my father passing away from cancer. He's been with me while we moved to a very unfriendly big city, 1500km's from home. All the daily struggles and moments of emotional lows. He is my little rock. Lovingly waltzing over and curl up on my chest and purr while he suckles his paws, cooing and mooning his eyes. Anyone that has slept over on our rarely-vacant green futon knows Odin is the furthest thing from a normal cat. His loyalty and affection is closer to a dog, and his behavior; a monkey. He greets you at the door every time you come home after a long day of work and lets out his meows of excitement. He'll perch himself on your shoulders and rub his face on yours in affection then continue to hop around and do his daily stretches on his cat tree. My favorite moments are when he realizes the rest of our little family have retreated to the bedroom to sleep, and suddenly realizes he should be joining us. You can hear him hop down from one of his many cat trees (although closer to feline condo estates - as there's more cat furniture than human furniture at our place) and he will let out a long drawn out meow as he prances over to the bed and hops up to curl up with. A 7 day per week occurrence.

Odin has touched many lives. Anyone one and everyone who's had the pleasure of meeting him will attest to that fact. These past few years have been a difficult climb at the Adsit-Bieniak residence. Following the loss of loved ones, and heavy diagnoses, I've been struggling through my own internal demons, while Alex continues to fight his own life battles. Confiding and taking solace in our fuzzy little Odin.

Alex and Odin have an unbreakable bond. We continually reflect on Odin's daily antics and I witness the relationship they have together every single day. That little animal trusts Alex with his life, and Alex trusts him more than anyone or anything else. Alex has not lived an easy life, but the love, vulnerability and care that he opens up to Odin with is unsurpassed. It is truly mutual and unconditional love.

That's shown through a lot these past few weeks. The moment we noticed Odin not acting like himself, Alex immediately dropped everything, post-poned all his work and even his own birthday to drive 15 hours to Edmonton to have him fully examined at the vet clinic we trusted. Following numerous culture samples, blood work, x-rays and ultrasounds, we discovered fluid pooling in Odin's abdomen. Following this, the x-rays revealed what could be compared to as cotton-balls in his lungs. Alex took all the first blows of the news so that I didn't have to. He has been communicating with multiple vets who specialize in different veterinary fields, while endlessly reading and researching day and night - never once leaving Odin's side. We have vet specialists such as (last names removed for privacy) Dr. Cam, Dr. Erin, and Dr. Sarah trying to make sense of what Odin's condition is. Which is still undetermined. They've taken samples of the ever-amassing abdominal fluid, numerous blood samples, x-rays, ultrasounds, urinalisis, pancreatic snap testing, the list goes on. Throughout every single one of these procedures, Alex was there. Giving him a little familiarity. Holding him in my bathrobe that Alex brought along with them, so Odin could curl up in it, as he does at home. As soon as he would look up at Alex with his little moon eyes and rub his nose and teeth against Alex's cheek, he would stop fussing and let the needles go in, knowing we are desperately trying to make him feel better. These interactions even made the vets tear up.

As it stands, Odin has a nodule on his pancreas, and his little abdomen is swollen with fluid. His white blood cell count is high, and his appetite is incredibly low. His lungs are displaying very cloudy on x-ray, and he is incredibly weak.

He has come back negative for FIP through 2 different screening methods, and we are currently waiting on blood antigen screen results for the chance of pulmonary cryptococcus infection.

We don't know whether the pancreatic nodule is a result of stress incurred by infection, or pancreatitus. Although the fluid samples were tested and came back non-malignant we have not been able to yet rule out pancreatic cancer that's metastasized to his lungs, either. We absolutely need help with this. Please.

His condition is getting more and more serious by the day, and his health is diminishing exponentially.

Alex has been administering sub-Q fluids, feeding him by hand (attempting to get him to eat any of the many different foods we've gotten him to get him interested in food again), and has been giving him 24-hour care. He has been by his side every moment for the last week straight.

The fluid is continually building up, he is losing more and more weight as he refuses any caloric ingestion, and he is vomiting. Alex has been administering him with buprenorphine every 12 hours for pain management, mirtazapine every 3 days to stimulate appetite, and he is now on a 4 day cycle of cerenia ingestables to help control his nausea and hopefully cease his vomiting.

He was injected with a slow-release antibiotic in Alberta (2 week tissue release) as an added attempt to get a head start on potential treatment.

The fact is, Odin needs to see a specialist and needs to be booked into inpatient care. He is incredibly sick.

Last night he took a turn for the worse. He went completely flat, and began relentlessly hiding under the bed. He eventually hid in his cat carrier, and just as it seemed he was calming down, he stumbled out. Hardly able to walk, he flattened low to the ground and began crying and moaning and howling in pain (all the while on buprenorphine). He eventually fell over on his side and vomitted numerous times.

This is the point that we need more help.

Dr. Sarah has submit a requisition to Canada West clinic to get Odin into 24 hour care and start emergency diagnostics and treatment immediately. This treatment is completely out of our budget, especially after traveling out-of-province, time off work, and a plethora of prescriptions, exams, appointments, and everything else. We are doing absolutely everything possible for Odin and we need help.

Odin is only 4 years old, having just celebrated his birthday on the 7th of this month. He came into the world for nothing more than to love, and be loved. All the while, he has done so much more for so many, and taught us all more about care and compassion than we could ever know.

Absolutely any donation would be appreciated endlessly.

Please help us save our little Odin, and continue to give him the absolute best life that he deserves.

Thank you,
Ania & Alex