Our 14-year-old Norwegian Forest Cat, Zodiac, has been a part of our family since he was a year old. He's more than just a pet, he’s been a constant source of love, comfort, and stability through some of the most difficult times in our lives. He’s helped us through serious mental health crises with his calming presence and unwavering loyalty. We truly believe that without him, we might not have made it through some of those moments.

Now he needs us more than ever. Zodiac has developed a severely inflamed cyst on his leg, and he urgently needs surgery to remove it and will need a skin transplant too. The operation is necessary to relieve his pain, heal the wound, and prevent the condition from worsening—but while we can cover part of the cost, the full amount is beyond what we can afford.

We’re a family living just above the poverty line. My parents receive only the minimum pension, and after essential expenses, there’s very little left. On top of that, we’re all chronically ill ourselves, and even though we live in Germany, where the healthcare system does help, medications and treatments still come with significant costs once it's all added up.

We have done everything in our power to keep the wound clean and to care for it properly, but it has now reached a point where surgery and a transplantation is the only real solution. Since it is an open wound and understandably not very pleasant to look at, we decided not to upload pictures directly to GoFundMe. However, we are absolutely willing to provide photos upon request to anyone who would like to see proof of his condition.

Zodiac isn’t "just a cat." He’s a member of our family, someone we are incredibly grateful to have had by our side for these 14 years. We hope for many more happy and healthy years with him—but to make that possible, he needs this operation.

If anyone is able to help—even with a small amount—it would mean the world to us. We would be endlessly grateful for any support in giving Zodiac the care he needs to heal and live comfortably again.

In addition to asking for help here, I am currently trying to sell some of my personal belongings—mainly English-language books, special editions—to raise money for the surgery. This process takes time, but I am doing everything I can to contribute as much as possible. If anyone would like more information about that, feel free to reach out.