Kiwi and Moose Fund
Donation protected
This story starts upon graduating from the most beautiful school in Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (commonly known at Virginia Tech).
Myself, 21 (at the time), and my ever-supporting boyfriend, 22, moved to Northern Virginia/Arlington to begin our journey as post-graduate semi-functioning adults. We started small, living with my grandparents due to the complete lack of income and fear of digging ourselves a hole impossible to climb out of. Upon myself getting a job, and Ryan completing an extremely prestigious (unpaid) internship at the Heritage Foundation, we decided it was time to move out. Keep in mind, while we were SO beyond grateful for my grandparent's love and support, I was ready to return to a semi-autonomous life that I had been so blessed to have in college. I had two weeks before I started my (paid, thank god) job to find us a reasonable place to live, and if you know anything about Arlington/NoVa, it's not an easy task.
We moved into our apartment a week after I started my job, actually on the Friday of my first week. After searching for apartments, we had definitely settled for "the next best" after I had repeatedly come home completely shocked and disappointed by the pricing and quality of apartments in the 22206. We were happy to be somewhere that we could begin to nest and settle, which meant to Ryan: adopting cats.
I grew up with cats, so I had a pretty good idea of what time/effort/money/etc. went into keeping your purry-pet happy. After 2 months of getting "used" to solo-living, Ryan convinced me to "go look at some strays" at our local PetSmart. After leaving PetSmart frustrated because "I just wanted a freaking puppy," the tables had completely turned and I was convincing Ryan to make ONE LAST STOP: The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. Ryan happily obliged. We pulled up to the shelter, cars were everywhere (double parked, in the grass, on the curb, etc.). We were confused, we had NOT gotten the memo, to us it was a normal Saturday. To the shelter though, it was "Clear the Shelter" day, which families from all over VA attended hoping to find a furry-friend to bring home and shower with love.
After standing in the blazing heat, we were finally allowed in, they had reached max capacity and were only letting people in as others were let out. It was slow, but the excitement of "perfect timing" overwhelmed us. We made it to the first kitty-kennel. They were the first thing we saw upon entering the "Kitty Korner," a sweet gray girl and a fat tabby boy. The two were snuggled up grooming one another, completely infatuated with each other. At first, they didn’t even see us. But we saw them. It didn't take long for Ryan to offer his few cents of wisdom... "you know if we got two cats, we wouldn't have to worry about them being.... you know... bored." It took everything in me not to spat back with "they're cats..... they thrive off of bored," but my inner-child was distracted by then Apolyn and Azazel. Before we knew it, we were sitting in their kitty-kennel and playing with them for hours. A sweet old woman came by to check on us saying that these two had to leave the shelter together, but that they were so happy with one another than they really didn't need much else. Ryan and I found comfort in that. Before we even had the opportunity to talk or come to a consensus, we walked hand-in-hand to inform the sweet woman that we wanted to take them home.
Kiwi, photo taken at the shelter
Moose, photo taken at home
I understand that this is a long story, my purpose being to explain the love and gratitude we have for these sweet kitties. We brought these two cuties home and started our lives. Falling in love with them was quick, it always is as an animal lover. Renamed Moose and Kiwi, their names fit them perfectly. Their personalities shined, both feeding off of the other's quirks. We took them to the vet regularly (as regularly as you can in a 6 month span).
It started with Kiwi, we had taken her in because her eye had appeared swollen and we were worried because she had started to lose her energy. It took them less than 10 minutes to come up with her prognosis and inform us of its severity. Kiwi had a bacterial yeast infection in her inner ear (bulla) and it had ruptured through her ear walls and leaked (for the lack of a better word) onto the soft pallet of her mouth and destroyed the soft tissue that shapes the roof of your mouth. Emergency surgery. Our response? Yes, do it, save my cats (because Lord knows Moose would be devastated/lost without sweet Kiwi).
So in the span of 1 week, I had opened my first credit card and then maxed it out.
Please, mostly family, do not confuse the act of telling this story with me begging for pity or money. I did not intend to create such a page but after much thought and a holiday week from "hell," the costs ended up to be much more than the promised "$6,000."
Kiwi was a champ, she absolutely slayed surgery and was released the following day with a sweet scar/stiches and a drain connected through her incision (going all the way into her head, less than a cm from her brain). The following days were exactly what you'd expect: over analyzing everything she did, calling every vet/specialist that had seen her, and making sure she didn't fall off a counter or something. When we took her to get her drain removed (10 days later), they gave us a quick assessment-- which she passed with flying colors. We were finally in the clear.
Fast forward, the week before Thanksgiving. Both cats had gotten into a more resting-routine, which we shrugged off as them finally comfortable in their home/surroundings. We left for 2 days over Thanksgiving and returned to untouched food and lethargic cats. The more pressing of the two being Moose. His stomach appeared as if he had eaten all of the food we had left, BUT the food was untouched. Our cat did not get massive overnight, but two days? What? We immediately took him to the doctor. I was a mess, mostly because Moose had become the "good child" meaning he was the healthy one... the one we didn't have to worry about. Moose was taken quickly back as an emergency patient and we were ushered into a private room- it took me about .01 seconds to start panicking. I knew what the private room meant.
Our vet came in with another vet-tech, both avoiding eye-contact and speaking in high-pitched voices. Moose had gone into severe liver failure and it was one of three things: (1) FIV/FELV; (2) lymphoma/cancer; and/or (3) they have no idea and don't have time to find out. They urged that if we did choose to find more out about why this had happened that we acknowledge the fact that the odds of him ever recovering were not just slim...but none. Our hearts were broken and quite frankly, we both get extremely defeated- selfishly. When I looked to Ryan for strength I saw that he too had broken and together we were a jumbled mixture of confused and devastated. After long talks and a beautiful goodbye, our sweet boy flew over the rainbow bridge to a world full of stuffed pickles and lady kitties.
We went home exhausted and battered. Upon arriving home, Kiwi was barely able to opened her eyes. I called the vet immediately, scheduling a neurologist appointment that Tuesday (2 days away). I took the next morning off because I couldn't face the world yet - but made my way into the office..blindly ignoring the pit in my stomach. I left the office early Tuesday, praying for good news for Kiwi. Ryan was unable to take off, as he had just gotten hired and started a new job RIGHT BEFORE Thanksgiving. We were financially strained and we had no idea how to maintain our current lifestyle (insurance, rent, commuting, necessities, being an adult, etc.).
I took Kiwi to her surgeon and neurologist, both which had been on this long healing journey with us. After informing them of our previous loss, they swooped Kiwi away for testing. I sat in the room waiting, but it didn't take them long. They returned Kiwi to me in a burrito-towel, where she did not fight to get out. The neurologist, Dr. Barker (whom I absolutely love and am so grateful for), sat down next to me and embraced me in a hug. Kiwi's fight was over. She had stopped eating and her liver, too, was failing. She had until the weekend, but Dr. Barker informed me that she was unsure she would make it that long. There was no explanation given because her poor body had given up the fight, Dr. Barker was astounded. She believed it was dormant prior to her surgery but her inability to eat (the roof of her mouth concaved) she developed a liver disease. To top it all off, I had forgotten my phone at home - I was completely by myself...being told my other cat (whom we just spent $6,000 on to heal) is dying.
We got to spend the rest of the week with our sweet Kiwi. Ryan, barely able to muster up the ability to comfort himself, let alone another person, felt cornered. We watched Kiwi repeatedly pee herself and then climb onto our laps without a understanding in the world as to what was happening to her. We tried our hardest to keep a regular lifestyle that accommodated her but mentally she was gone.
Kiwi passed that Friday, joining Moose in their incredible next journey together. We had a wonderful experience at The Animal Welfare League of Arlington and we are so grateful for their amazing staff and supportive atmosphere. We lost both of our sweet little family members within a week and while we argued as to why, one thing was understood: they were loved until the very end -- and even then -- they will continue to be loved, forever. This is where YOU come in! We are now actively repaying our debts that we owe on our two precious kitties. We have contacted grants, loans, sponsorships and non-profits in the community for help with the medical bills, but because both cats have passed away we are uneligible for any sort of help/funding. Give what you can (PRAYERS COUNT!), as any and all is appreciated -- beyond measure. God bless and NEVER take the time given to you for granted -- we are all so lucky.
Kiwi, photo taken at the shelter
Moose, photo taken at home
I understand that this is a long story, my purpose being to explain the love and gratitude we have for these sweet kitties. We brought these two cuties home and started our lives. Falling in love with them was quick, it always is as an animal lover. Renamed Moose and Kiwi, their names fit them perfectly. Their personalities shined, both feeding off of the other's quirks. We took them to the vet regularly (as regularly as you can in a 6 month span).
It started with Kiwi, we had taken her in because her eye had appeared swollen and we were worried because she had started to lose her energy. It took them less than 10 minutes to come up with her prognosis and inform us of its severity. Kiwi had a bacterial yeast infection in her inner ear (bulla) and it had ruptured through her ear walls and leaked (for the lack of a better word) onto the soft pallet of her mouth and destroyed the soft tissue that shapes the roof of your mouth. Emergency surgery. Our response? Yes, do it, save my cats (because Lord knows Moose would be devastated/lost without sweet Kiwi).
So in the span of 1 week, I had opened my first credit card and then maxed it out.
Please, mostly family, do not confuse the act of telling this story with me begging for pity or money. I did not intend to create such a page but after much thought and a holiday week from "hell," the costs ended up to be much more than the promised "$6,000."
Kiwi was a champ, she absolutely slayed surgery and was released the following day with a sweet scar/stiches and a drain connected through her incision (going all the way into her head, less than a cm from her brain). The following days were exactly what you'd expect: over analyzing everything she did, calling every vet/specialist that had seen her, and making sure she didn't fall off a counter or something. When we took her to get her drain removed (10 days later), they gave us a quick assessment-- which she passed with flying colors. We were finally in the clear.
Fast forward, the week before Thanksgiving. Both cats had gotten into a more resting-routine, which we shrugged off as them finally comfortable in their home/surroundings. We left for 2 days over Thanksgiving and returned to untouched food and lethargic cats. The more pressing of the two being Moose. His stomach appeared as if he had eaten all of the food we had left, BUT the food was untouched. Our cat did not get massive overnight, but two days? What? We immediately took him to the doctor. I was a mess, mostly because Moose had become the "good child" meaning he was the healthy one... the one we didn't have to worry about. Moose was taken quickly back as an emergency patient and we were ushered into a private room- it took me about .01 seconds to start panicking. I knew what the private room meant.
Our vet came in with another vet-tech, both avoiding eye-contact and speaking in high-pitched voices. Moose had gone into severe liver failure and it was one of three things: (1) FIV/FELV; (2) lymphoma/cancer; and/or (3) they have no idea and don't have time to find out. They urged that if we did choose to find more out about why this had happened that we acknowledge the fact that the odds of him ever recovering were not just slim...but none. Our hearts were broken and quite frankly, we both get extremely defeated- selfishly. When I looked to Ryan for strength I saw that he too had broken and together we were a jumbled mixture of confused and devastated. After long talks and a beautiful goodbye, our sweet boy flew over the rainbow bridge to a world full of stuffed pickles and lady kitties.
We went home exhausted and battered. Upon arriving home, Kiwi was barely able to opened her eyes. I called the vet immediately, scheduling a neurologist appointment that Tuesday (2 days away). I took the next morning off because I couldn't face the world yet - but made my way into the office..blindly ignoring the pit in my stomach. I left the office early Tuesday, praying for good news for Kiwi. Ryan was unable to take off, as he had just gotten hired and started a new job RIGHT BEFORE Thanksgiving. We were financially strained and we had no idea how to maintain our current lifestyle (insurance, rent, commuting, necessities, being an adult, etc.).
I took Kiwi to her surgeon and neurologist, both which had been on this long healing journey with us. After informing them of our previous loss, they swooped Kiwi away for testing. I sat in the room waiting, but it didn't take them long. They returned Kiwi to me in a burrito-towel, where she did not fight to get out. The neurologist, Dr. Barker (whom I absolutely love and am so grateful for), sat down next to me and embraced me in a hug. Kiwi's fight was over. She had stopped eating and her liver, too, was failing. She had until the weekend, but Dr. Barker informed me that she was unsure she would make it that long. There was no explanation given because her poor body had given up the fight, Dr. Barker was astounded. She believed it was dormant prior to her surgery but her inability to eat (the roof of her mouth concaved) she developed a liver disease. To top it all off, I had forgotten my phone at home - I was completely by myself...being told my other cat (whom we just spent $6,000 on to heal) is dying.
We got to spend the rest of the week with our sweet Kiwi. Ryan, barely able to muster up the ability to comfort himself, let alone another person, felt cornered. We watched Kiwi repeatedly pee herself and then climb onto our laps without a understanding in the world as to what was happening to her. We tried our hardest to keep a regular lifestyle that accommodated her but mentally she was gone. Kiwi passed that Friday, joining Moose in their incredible next journey together. We had a wonderful experience at The Animal Welfare League of Arlington and we are so grateful for their amazing staff and supportive atmosphere. We lost both of our sweet little family members within a week and while we argued as to why, one thing was understood: they were loved until the very end -- and even then -- they will continue to be loved, forever. This is where YOU come in! We are now actively repaying our debts that we owe on our two precious kitties. We have contacted grants, loans, sponsorships and non-profits in the community for help with the medical bills, but because both cats have passed away we are uneligible for any sort of help/funding. Give what you can (PRAYERS COUNT!), as any and all is appreciated -- beyond measure. God bless and NEVER take the time given to you for granted -- we are all so lucky.
Organizer
Bella Downey
Organizer
Arlington, VA
