Never thought I'd find myself in this position, but here I am.
Late one night last week, Bernie really wasn't himself and we felt a mass in his belly. We called an advice line and were told it was an emergency situation, and that we needed to get him to an out of hours vet immediately.
Once he was checked, we learned he was suffering from something called idiopathic feline lower urinary tract disease, meaning his urethra is constricting and not allowing him to pass urine.
He has had 3 catheters, and is still unable to urinate. A fourth catheter has been inserted today, until he can (hopefully) have surgery on Monday.
The only option now to avoid losing him, is a procedure called perennial urethrostomy, to create a new opening in his urethra, so that he can urinate.
Unfortunately the care he has already received over the past week has taken us up to the limit of his insurance cover, and we have been quoted £6,500 for the procedure.
We are of course working to raise the funds ourselves, but the avenues we're exploring aren't guaranteed and if approved, are likely to take some time to get to us.
This is a living nightmare for us, so I'm throwing myself at the aid of the internet.
Even if all you can do is share the GoFundMe link where you think it may be seen by someone who can help, we would all be so grateful.
What? What are you saying right now?
Are you trying to tell me that because there are plenty more cats in shelters, that I should just let my boy die?
What's wrong with you?
I think the point they are trying to make is that the poster doesn’t think exhausting all your finances to save your cat is worth it to them. But that’s a question you ask yourself. Are you willing to use all of your savings and possibly go into debt to save your cat? If not, what is the cut off?
The other thing to balance is the cats pain level. It’s hard as a cat parent to consider euthanasia, but sometimes that’s the best thing for the cat. Yes, we all love our cats. But, for example, my cat had the option of $10000 for a few extra months in pain. I didn’t want to let go of my cat and tried multiple places for a second opinion, but the answer was the same: it was in the best interests of our kitty. I’m not familiar with your cats disease, but from what I’ve read, it seems like they have a good chance of continued life post surgery without pain. If I misunderstand the disease, feel free to ask yourself if the cats life in pain is worth it.
If anyone has visited the page, they will have seen that the situation here is that we're raising funds for a procedure that will give Bernie an additional opening to urinate from. It's a straightforward procedure, and it's not a question about spending money for him to potentially suffer more. The money spent is to prevent him experiencing further blockages, which is what cause the pain and potential kidney failure, which can result in death. That's why this is a life-saving surgery.
I saw that, I was just leaving things open in case I wasn't understanding it correctly.
This is your child. Only you can place a price tag on your love.
For some, there is no limit.