Emergency Vet Expenses for Nigel

4 years ago, I was asked to take in the last cat of a colony my sister had been feeding. The rest had vanished, and with her moving due to her husband's transfer (he was allergic), she was worried there was no one to care for him.

After a drive to get him from someone who brought him halfway, I inherited a hissing, spitting ball of murder that wanted to take out me, my ancestors, and anyone within 500 feet for daring to put him in a cage and get him vet care before he came my way.

Nigel lived in my bathroom and under my dresser for the first four months. He swiped at me if I tried to toss a treat to him. He hissed and wouldn't eat if I was in the same room. I discovered he was exploring at night, so I'd sleep in the room with him. He'd sniff at me, but stay back afterwards.

After I moved to a house, he started to open up, but was still wary of everything. He hid up in a closet for a few days, and then started to explore. His favorite place became the window at the front, but for a while he still ran if he saw my car pull up. The first time he didn't, I almost cried.

Nigel claimed one of the cat trees as his own, and woe be it to the other two cats should they even attempt to get on it. It was there that I introduced him to being pet, and created what several of my friends call a monster. While sleeping, I snuck up on him, and started to pet his cheeks. For a while, he'd slip down under the tree, and it was the ONLY way to pet him. At all, leaning down to where he was comfortable and pet there. When he was done, I'd get a hand bap. (no claws!)

Then he discovered I would pet him from my chair at my desk. This was the world-changer for him, and he discovered he *liked* the pets. He wanted pets all day, every day, if I was in that computer chair. He would yell at me for pets.

I still could not pick him up, nor could I approach him.

-However- several months later, he saw me sitting in bed reading, and without me realizing it, jumped up. He leaned up against my leg and just purred. And got more pets.

Once the bed=petting, there was no stopping this cat. He literally forced himself under Gozer (his brother), so that he could shove his way to me for pets one night. Petting is his world, and he loves it. He comes up to me for petting at night, and sometimes will actually sleep with me now, or will just go to the cat bed that's next to the bed.

I was able to pick him up for the first time without him struggling about 3 months ago. He is the best of my three cats for nail clipping, which is the strangest! But he's such an amazing cat who has come such a long way from feral to mostly house cat. Every time he peeks his head outdoors, he decides to NOPE it right back in the house.

He will flop by me in bed and place his head on my shoulder, and he's started to smack me with his paws for attention, like any other cat.

Nigel has come such a long way, and he deserves a chance. He developed blockages starting just after the start of the year. We thought we had this taken care of but he got into his sister's food by accident, and now we are here. (I am going to do whatever is possible to stop that from happening again)

I feed him exclusively the RX food he is supposed to get. Due to my vet being closed on both Monday and Tuesday, I had to take him to the ER vet. We originally tried an outpatient procedure, but he was blocked almost immediately again, so he went back in for the second time. The cost is 2700; and I've uploaded the bill here for anyone that wants to see it. I've already paid it as they demanded payment up front. This wiped out my savings, and over the year it's been almost 10K for his health. I have looked at several pet insurance companies, but only one takes pre-existing conditions; and that one doesn't kick in for a year.

Anything that can be donated to recoup and maybe plan for his PU surgery would be greatly appreciated.