Bring Hugo Home: Donate for His Healing

Hello. My beloved big buddy Hugo escaped almost 5 weeks ago and was found yesterday. He is in critical care now at the near by veterinary hospital. I posted his story online tonight and it blew up. The amount of support we have received has brought tears to my eyes, I really can't believe how many kind internet strangers have sent support to poor Hugo. Many comments asked me to set up a gofundme in order to support his medical care. I never would have thought of something like this or asked for money, but your insistence has inspired me to do this. I am a graduate student (with two little pet humans to feed also) and his medical care has burned through my emergency fund as well as my last remaining credit cards, so any support would be immensely helpful. I am willing to sell my possessions and do whatever it takes to give Hugo his best chance at FINALLY returning home for good. His full story is below. If you donate and include an address I will send a hand written thank you note. Thank you in advance.

Hugo is 12 years old. I rescued him as a kitten from a local animal group, who rescued his litter which was to be used as hunting bait. We've been best buddies ever since. It all started with the two of us, and since then our family has grown as I have married, adopted 2 pugs, and have had 2 children. He has been through it all and loves all his siblings (even the dogs!). He is a pillar of our family.

He escaped one evening almost 5 weeks ago. He has always been eager to sneak outside to eat plants or roll around the concrete, but he has never run away. But he somehow got out, we're thinking right before we went out to dinner. Because later when we returned home, we realized he wasn't around. Immediately we searched around the neighborhood with no luck. We posted on numerous social media groups/pages/apps, posted flyers all over on posts, put hundreds of flyers on doorsteps, and more. I checked animal shelters multiple times a week. No luck.

Two days ago, a woman who lives just a few blocks away called me. She remembered seeing my flyer a while ago, and that day she saw a big orange cat with long hair scurry into a hole under her house. She put food and water out and saw him a couple more times, but each time he ran under the house. So she called me and I walked over immediately. I laid down on the ground by the hole and could hear distressed meowing that sounded like him. I called his name over and over but he wouldn't come out. So I posted up, brought food/water/toys/catnip. No luck. I came back the next morning and right away saw his head peaking out. I got down on the ground and kept calling him. He slowly started walking towards me and after 30 seconds or so finally made it to me. I could barely breath and was in disbelief. But I immediately noticed that I could feel all his bones--he was a shell of his former self. Matted fur, dirt, and skin and bones. Right away I knew this was still a serious situation.

I then rushed him to the local veterinary emergency department. Full workup revealed several things (warning: these may be tough to read):

He has been in the vet ICU since then. He has received IV fluids, broad spectrum antibiotics, feeding via a nasal gastronomy tube, anti-flea/parasite meds, vitamins, meds to restart his liver, full cleaning and shaving of matted areas, x-rays, serial bloodwork, and more. Tomorrow he is getting more labs done, a full abdominal ultrasound, surgery consult for his infected skin sites, and possible red blood cell transfusion. He also may need an esophageal tube placed so that I can feed him nutritional supplementation and medications at home until he starts eating. He is still not eating on his own but is starting to enjoy drinking water out of a bowl on his own, which was a huge positive step.

I have been visiting him multiple times per day and receiving several updates over the phone every day as well. He has been responding well and showing a little bit of an increase in energy, although when I've held him he mostly just sits there then falls asleep. However, he started purring again (one of his trademarks) today when I held him and gave him scratchies. The vet in charge of him said he'll probably need at least 2-3 more days in the hospital, but also said he is responding well to medical treatment with improvements in his bloodwork and liver labs. He is also tolerating the g-tube feedings really well.

He is 12 but has never had a single health problem before, so my dream is that he can somehow get through this and recover back to normal, and that we could have many years left together. Overall I have already spent $6,500 on his care. The vet estimates this to go up to $8,000 or $9000. It sounds crazy to spend this much money on a cat but I will do anything within my power to give him his best chance at FINALLY MAKING IT BACK HOME after this nightmare of a journey he has been through. I have burned through all my emergency/savings as well as maxed out my last credit cards. Asking for money online is something I never thought of and it feels like the last thing I would do, but many people have insisted. I decided to set this up not as a plea for money, but rather as an opportunity for anyone who wants to support his journey back home. I know as well as anyone how tough these times are financially, so please only donate if you are able to. I don't want to put any strain on anyone. If you donate and there is a return address, I will send a handwritten thank you note and maybe a photo or two of Hugo. Thanks again for all your support of my big furry buddy.