Help big baby cat Mac aka Bones McCoy with Heart failure

Hi, I’m Andrew Thomson and this is Mac. (Formal name Dr. Bones McCoy), the most cuddly and sweet cat I’ve ever known.

He first came to me from the forest as a foundling, all skin and bones, hence the name, and quickly showed his unique personality. Unlike most cats, his favorite thing (other than eating) is meeting new people and climbing onto their laps or chests or into their armpits for nuzzles. He has become the baby of the house, always first in line for lap time, with pink nose, pink toes and pink belly, with a meow so high pitched the cat translator apps say his catchphrase is “Mommy!”. He also LOVES dogs, and made me adopt my big husky dog Strongheart because he was outside the front glass door, begging to come in, and Mac loved him at first sight.

Sadly, now he’s much older and started having trouble eating, and was diagnosed with severe enlarged heart, atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure either from genetics or feline coronavirus or both. For the last few months he’s had ups and downs, sometimes unable to eat or walk, seeming so miserable we were days away from euthanasia, but then, with 7 prescription meds and the kind and generous attention from our very wonderful and affordable vets, making miraculous recoveries other times, such as the last two months, acting normal and happy except for his rapid irregular heartbeat and breathing

However, this week he’s taken a big turn for the worse; he’s been eating well one day, not the next and now his hind legs have become totally paralyzed. He needs my help getting in and out of the litter box and sitting up to eat, and needs fluids injected on a subcutaneous drip to stay hydrated. Unless things turn around soon, it looks like these are his last days.

Unfortunately, I am disabled on a low fixed income with cats and dogs that I’ve had since before I became disabled and the last few months of medical care and prescriptions has drained my meager savings. Right now I’m having to choose between paying my electric bill or taking him to the vet for diagnostics and reordering his medications.

I won’t extend his suffering for my own sake, but I also don’t want to let him go too soon if he’s able to have more comfortable life time. Last time I thought it was time for him to go, but the vets got him back on his feet and happy again for a couple of wonderful months and I want to make sure that we’re making the right decision at the right time which requires more diagnostics. Even when he shows us he’s finally ready to go, which might be soon, I don’t even have the money to pay for that final procedure right now. The vet tells me this condition rarely ends peacefully at home.

I have set the goal for the fundraiser below the approximate amount that I’ve spent so far on his recent care which came out of essential survival money so that I can get him the diagnostics he needs to determine his future, and the procedures and meds he’ll need either to extend his life or to relieve his suffering, depending what those diagnostics say. If anybody’s interested in looking at the vet and medication bills, just let me know. I’ll be happy to share them. I didn’t want to put them on the main page because that is sometimes too upsetting for people..

Any amount will help so I’m very grateful for your time looking at this and any contribution you’re able to make as well as any people you could possibly share the link with who might be interested.

Thank you!

Andrew