Help Us Save Tony's Life – Our Sweet, Brave Bombay Cat

Hi everyone,

We’ve got some tough news to share today—our sweet Tony has been diagnosed with throat cancer. Tony isn’t just a cat to us; he’s our soul cat, our best friend, and he’s been with us through so much. Now it’s our turn to fight for him. We have included a cost breakdown below.

Tony is our quirky, sweet boy who loves watching TV and somehow manages to play fetch with our socks. Every single time we come home, he is sitting at the door waiting to greet us. Tony’s been there for us during our toughest moments. He’s curled up with me through my medical issues, and licked my tears away. When Josh injured his knee, Tony sat with him, gently leaning against his knee and purring. He’s given us so much love, and now we’re trying to give him the same.

Tony has been through a lot. He and his sister were both rescued as tiny kittens from horrific abuse. Twice, I thought I had lost him forever. First, when my roommate secretly returned him to a shelter, I searched five different pounds to find him. I’ll never forget the way he threw himself against the cage when he saw me. Then, a couple of years later, he was intentionally let outside while I was away. He was found just in time by a kind woman who took him to a shelter after he had broken into her home to eat her dog's food—he was only days away from being put down because of a faulty microchip. This cat has been through so much, and he’s my world.

Earlier this year, his voice started getting hoarse, and by May, he couldn’t make a sound. I knew something wasn’t right, but after taking him to five different vets, they kept telling me I was overreacting or that he was fine. I just knew in my gut they were wrong. He started losing weight, stopped eating for a day, and the spark in his personality started fading. After a few days, he went back to normal. Eating, playing, and asking for affection, but I still had a feeling something was wrong. Three weeks ago, we found a lump on his throat. And today, after more tests, we finally got the diagnosis—Tony has throat cancer, a carcinoma.

But there’s hope - the cancer hasn’t spread to his lungs. With surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and medications, he has a real shot at recovery. The only problem is the cost. We’re looking at about $10,000 for his treatment, and while we do have pet insurance, it only covers a portion, and we have to pay everything upfront. This is in addition to the nearly $2,800 we have already paid.

We’re asking for help to give Tony the chance he deserves. He’s been such a loving, comforting presence in our lives, and we want to do everything we can to save him. Any amount you can contribute will go toward his surgery, radiation, chemo, and meds. Every little bit helps, and we are so incredibly grateful for any support you can give.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Kena and Josh

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BREAKDOWN OF COST

These are ranges for veterinary care for Tony's type of cancer that we received from his vet. The actual costs may vary depending on specific treatment needs, which we unfortunately don't know until the previous step is completed:

1. Initial Consultation & Diagnostic Tests:

COMPLETED - Final Cost $1,989

* Bloodwork, X-rays, and ultrasound: $500 - $1,000

* Biopsy of the tumor: $500 - $700

2. Surgery to Remove Tumor:

* CT scan or MRI to assess the tumor: $1,000 - $1,500 (potentially may not need)

* Surgical removal of the tumor (including anesthesia): $2,500 - $4,000

3. Post-Surgery Hospitalization and Care:

* Post-operative hospitalization and monitoring: $500 - $1,000

* Medications for pain management and antibiotics: $200 - $400

4. Radiation Therapy:

* Radiation treatments over several sessions: $2,000 - $3,500

5. Chemotherapy:

* Chemotherapy sessions (depending on the number and type): $500 - $1,500

6. Follow-up Visits and Medications:

* Follow-up visits to monitor progress: $300 - $600

* Additional medications (anti-nausea, pain relief, etc.): $200 - $400

Total: $8,200 - $10,700