Phila Hoopes

You don't often know a cat's birthday, but in Kiwi's case, it was clear: his mama was very pregnant on July 27, 2012, when I went out of town, and she was not pregnant on July 29 when I returned. So Kiwi is just coming up on 14 years old. Too young to be facing what he's facing... But before we go into that, you need to know that this is the sweetest, chillest cat in the world. The cat who comes to the door to greet visitors, who rides upstairs on my shoulders, who sleeps draped over the top of my head, who purrs so loudly at the vet that the doc can't hear his heartbeat. Who takes all kinds of medicine - pills, syringes, the works - without a murmur. The cat everybody loves. In 2018, Kiwi was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. With the help of an amazing vet, we fought it down to remission. For the past three years, he's been in good shape...until recently, when he was losing weight and just acting off, and I took him to the vet. Bloodwork revealed elevated white blood cells and, worse, extremely low albumin, which could mean pancreatic, kidney or liver disease at the worst. So we got an ultrasound....and the results were worse than I feared. Multiple masses on the outside of the small intestine....the radiographer's reading is still pending, but the vet was pretty clear: the signs indicate GI Lymphoma. Biopsy would prove it, further ultrasounds would show whether it's metastasized. The vet said that with cats at his age most caregivers go with palliative or basic treatment...which would be 6 months to a year's prognosis with steroids plus chemo; possibly more with integrative therapy. I'm struggling to take it all in right now...this comes after six months in which I had Kiwi's mother put down due to oral cancer, Kiwi had eye surgery for in-turned eyelashes, and his adopted sister had oral surgery. 2026 has been a year; my resources are already tapped out, and Kiwi is just at the first unknown steps of this turn in the road: still vital, still interested in life, not done by a long shot. These are hard times, and we're all facing challenges. Knowing that, this ask is not easy, but right now, I honestly don't see any other option. Kiwi is an extraordinary cat, a wise old soul, and an angel with fur. I would be deeply grateful for any donation you can share—any amount will help me give him the care he needs to keep bringing his special magic to the world. As someone who has herded many cats over the years, I cannot even begin to imagine life without him. Many, many thanks for any help you can offer!