Mouse's Medical Fund

We adopted Mouse just over a year ago as a stray cat. He has FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). FIV+ cats are notoriously hard to find homes for but when we saw him we knew he was meant to be with us. He's only about 3 or 4 years old, still a silly kitten in a lot of ways.

(Mouse soon after he was adopted)

Recently he's developed Stomatitis (inflammation/infection, common in FIV+ cats) in his mouth and has a broken canine, and it's been getting worse for several months. My girlfriend was a student, and I lost my job, so we couldn't afford to get surgery before. We also had to pay to have him boarded for a few months while she finished school and I found a new job, because we were living with my parents and my dad was highly allergic to cats.

(Mouse at Cats Castle boarding. It's a fantastic place for those needing to board their cats! He's sticking his tongue out because of his bad mouth/teeth. He drools sometimes too)

When my girlfriend finished her schooling and got a part time job, and I got a new job, we moved into our own apartment so we could be with Mouse again. But his mouth and teeth had gotten a lot worse. My girlfriend's job was at an Animal Hospital, so we took him in for the Vet there to see him. She referred us to a Vet Dental Specialist in Mississauga. 

(Mouse cuddling with our other cat Freja)

So just this week we took him to a veterinary dentist to get a consultation on the surgery, and was told it would cost a minimum of $2,700 without tax and a maximum of closer to $3,500. The surgery is to completely remove all of his teeth and the roots to remove all of the inflammation and infection. 

We're already exploring other surgeons/vets to see if there is somewhere else that will do it for cheaper, but for now we just don't know.

We were doing fine financially until my girlfriend had her hours completely cut, for a month at least, because the Vet at the clinic she works at got hurt so they don't need as many assistants without a vet to see and treat animals. So now we're going to already be losing money every month until she gets another job. 

(Mouse can be a heavy sleeper)

We can't afford to pay for Mouse's surgery when it's that much, not without putting ourselves at severe risk of not being able to pay for rent or food or defaulting on our credit. 

But we absolutely want to be able to have him get the surgery as soon as possible, before it prevents him from eating, and before the infection gets so bad it compromises his (already FIV compromised) immune system any more. 

He's the sweetest cat ever. He either takes a nap off by himself, or quietly comes over to get pets a few times a day. He is incredibly gentle and affectionate, and he loves to play or cuddle with us and with our other cat. When the Vet was examining him during the consultation this week, she couldn't hear his heartbeat because he was purring so loudly. 

We're asking for any help that people are willing to give to us. 

We'll do what we can to make it worth your while too! For everyone who supports us, we'll send a Mouse-themed thank you card with a special message and his paw print as his signature.

Every little bit would be of great help!

Here are some sample cards we've been playing around with:





Thank you for reading this, even if you don't donate if you would share this with others we would all appreciate it.

Love,
Mouse, Freja, and their Humans (Katherine and Brian)