Saving Our Kitty Boy Was Worth It, But Took a Bite
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In 2010, I was gifted two new furry best friends, year-old brother and sister kitties, and they’ve loved me through everything since. A couple of years later, our kitty boy developed bladder crystals, but they were caught early and dissolved. We followed the suggested diet and he was fine - until July 1st, when he was meowing and unable to pee. The vet discovered his bladder was fully blocked.
Blockages can kill cats quickly, so we swooped into action. The first day and night cost roughly $1,500, but we had to help him. We brought the kitty boy home and he seemed better. But then, on July 3rd, he was dribbling urine everywhere. We found out he was blocked again, but our vet was closing, so we had to take him to the ER. We opted for surgery (estimated at $3,000-4,000), which was done just as the 3rd turned into the 4th. We were so touched by the support we've received, here and elsewhere, and thought that things might finally be looking up. But then we found out he still wasn't eating, so we dropped by to try to coax him to do so. We were able to spend a lot of time loving on him, but he still wouldn't eat, and hadn't eaten much since the 1st.
We went home to wait and pray that he would begin to heal, but he developed severe anemia and extensive bruising, and they weren't sure of the causes. We took him to another vet to see about a blood transfusion, only to discover he was also blocked again, which might have been caused by a blood clot. We spent the night of the 4th of July between two emergency vets, going over every option - but none of them got to the heart of his issues. We were told he might need yet another painful surgery to correct any problems with the first, with no guarantees and not much of a positive outlook. One option (which wouldn't have fixed major problems) was $3,000-5,000; another surgery would be $5,000-7,000, if they could even do a corrective surgery at all.
I hated - hated - to admit that he couldn't be saved. The vet kept asking if this or that was what I wanted and I had to blurt out that I didn't want it to be this way at all. We wanted many more years with our kitty boy, caring for him (and vice versa) with his sister. But it wasn't to be, and we couldn't let him suffer any further. He was too good a boy for that. So we gave him all the lovings, petting and holding him, talking to him and taking pictures of his beloved face . And then we had to let him cross the rainbow bridge, surrounded by love, being petted by both of us until after the vet said he was gone.
We have been in a daze since, hardly able to move or speak. I will be posting more later, including what our real expenses ended up being. Even though we spent about $5,000 we can't really afford (since I'm out of work, can't file for unemployment, and so on) and weren't able to bring him back home to stay, I want to make it clear: I do not regret giving the kitty boy as many chances as I could to bounce back. I do not regret running around day in and out to various vets, stressed to the gills. I can't regret anything except that he had to leave us so soon. He shared 9 years of perfect love and understanding with us. He was one of our best friends every day. He helped us to become better, more loving people. He has become part of us forever.
I want to thank everyone who has donated, who has shared, who has sent messages of kindness. Your support has shown us that there is a great deal of love around us and that animals have enriched the lives of so many. I had hoped the funds from this GoFundMe would be put aside to care for the kitty boy further, to afford any medicines or vet visits that we might need during his recovery. I had wanted that more than anything. I had so looked forward to bringing him home, nursing him, and keeping him close as I search for work. For now, I am just focusing on recovering personally, financially, and otherwise in the days ahead.
If you can help us during these darker days with whatever you can - encouragement, $5 dollars, sharing our story - know that we will be forever grateful, will use it well, and will be taking good care of our kitty girl, who doesn't seem to understand that her littermate won't be coming home. I will update more soon, but it has taken everything I have to write this and post pictures and video (please see the links above). I haven't sobbed so much in a very long time. The kitty boy taught us that sometimes you have to let yourself rest, and after such an ordeal, that's what we're going to do.
Blockages can kill cats quickly, so we swooped into action. The first day and night cost roughly $1,500, but we had to help him. We brought the kitty boy home and he seemed better. But then, on July 3rd, he was dribbling urine everywhere. We found out he was blocked again, but our vet was closing, so we had to take him to the ER. We opted for surgery (estimated at $3,000-4,000), which was done just as the 3rd turned into the 4th. We were so touched by the support we've received, here and elsewhere, and thought that things might finally be looking up. But then we found out he still wasn't eating, so we dropped by to try to coax him to do so. We were able to spend a lot of time loving on him, but he still wouldn't eat, and hadn't eaten much since the 1st.
We went home to wait and pray that he would begin to heal, but he developed severe anemia and extensive bruising, and they weren't sure of the causes. We took him to another vet to see about a blood transfusion, only to discover he was also blocked again, which might have been caused by a blood clot. We spent the night of the 4th of July between two emergency vets, going over every option - but none of them got to the heart of his issues. We were told he might need yet another painful surgery to correct any problems with the first, with no guarantees and not much of a positive outlook. One option (which wouldn't have fixed major problems) was $3,000-5,000; another surgery would be $5,000-7,000, if they could even do a corrective surgery at all.
I hated - hated - to admit that he couldn't be saved. The vet kept asking if this or that was what I wanted and I had to blurt out that I didn't want it to be this way at all. We wanted many more years with our kitty boy, caring for him (and vice versa) with his sister. But it wasn't to be, and we couldn't let him suffer any further. He was too good a boy for that. So we gave him all the lovings, petting and holding him, talking to him and taking pictures of his beloved face . And then we had to let him cross the rainbow bridge, surrounded by love, being petted by both of us until after the vet said he was gone.
We have been in a daze since, hardly able to move or speak. I will be posting more later, including what our real expenses ended up being. Even though we spent about $5,000 we can't really afford (since I'm out of work, can't file for unemployment, and so on) and weren't able to bring him back home to stay, I want to make it clear: I do not regret giving the kitty boy as many chances as I could to bounce back. I do not regret running around day in and out to various vets, stressed to the gills. I can't regret anything except that he had to leave us so soon. He shared 9 years of perfect love and understanding with us. He was one of our best friends every day. He helped us to become better, more loving people. He has become part of us forever.
I want to thank everyone who has donated, who has shared, who has sent messages of kindness. Your support has shown us that there is a great deal of love around us and that animals have enriched the lives of so many. I had hoped the funds from this GoFundMe would be put aside to care for the kitty boy further, to afford any medicines or vet visits that we might need during his recovery. I had wanted that more than anything. I had so looked forward to bringing him home, nursing him, and keeping him close as I search for work. For now, I am just focusing on recovering personally, financially, and otherwise in the days ahead.
If you can help us during these darker days with whatever you can - encouragement, $5 dollars, sharing our story - know that we will be forever grateful, will use it well, and will be taking good care of our kitty girl, who doesn't seem to understand that her littermate won't be coming home. I will update more soon, but it has taken everything I have to write this and post pictures and video (please see the links above). I haven't sobbed so much in a very long time. The kitty boy taught us that sometimes you have to let yourself rest, and after such an ordeal, that's what we're going to do.
Organizer
Patricia Willenborg
Organizer
Glendale, CA
