Help Ziggy Walk: Support His Recovery

Raising funds for my rescue cat's medical bills and any future help that he needs in his journey to recovery <3

THE PROBLEM

Last night (3/30) at 11:00 PM, I noticed my cat Ziggy was struggling to walk. He jumped down from the couch and didn't land properly; then he used his arms to get to the scratch pad. I called the amazing team at LAASER who told me to get there ASAP. Ten minutes later, Ziggy began being inspected. I received a call from LAASER at 2:18 AM with hard news: Ziggy was diagnosed with ataxia, pelvic limb weakness, hip dysplasia, and osteoarthritis. His arthritis is not new, but I was not aware of it because he is a rescue; LAASER told me it has been there for a while and this is a bad flare-up, probably the worst he's ever had. He was put on painkillers & anti-inflammatory medicine. Today, Ziggy can barely walk as long as he's taking it extremely slow and even then is moving diagonally. I am closely monitoring him to ensure he isn't moving and especially not overexerting himself.

When I got the medical plan, it was not one of the times I've only selected what I thought was necessary from the list: I got the whole goose and then some. I didn't know what was going on and I was determined to find out. The bill came out to be $2197.17 - I need help covering these expenses ASAP as I am not able to individually sustain this cost. Any help in making this money back would be hugely appreciated. Any funds made past the medical bill cost will be saved to use for Ziggy's future medical expenses as he will most likely need long-term medication to find comfort with his severe arthritis.

ZIGGY'S RESCUE STORY

Ziggy and his brother Auggie were rescued in the summer of 2022 after their previous owner had passed. The two heroes were abandoned in a house for 14 days to survive by themselves until their new owner (me!) jumped the fence and brought them to their home. I fostered Ziggy and Auggie because I was told that if I didn't do it then no one was going to take them from the house; I refused to abandon them. As it may sound, the entire process was spontaneous and chaotic. I was never able to find their medical records because doing so would mean venturing into a house where someone had just passed to find them. But that meant not having any papers on Ziggy & Auggie and thus not knowing their exact predicaments. Even their ages are approximate. It meant above all loving them unconditionally and showing them a home full of peace.

My roommate and I speculate that perhaps Ziggy wasn't born with these issues but instead was injured somehow, like in a car accident or in a previous home before his owner before me adopted him from the shelter. LAASER also noticed he has had some fractured ribs that have healed over. He has the demeanor of an animal who has clearly experienced abuse & neglect. Additionally, arthritis is strange for a cat his approximate age (7) and we will never know what happened in his life before he came to us.

5 FUN FACTS ABOUT ZIGGY

1. Ziggy is known as the mayor of the apartment for his warm greetings to everyone as soon as they walk through the door!

2. Ziggy loves to roll dice! He makes for an amazing companion at any game table.

3. If you're folding clothes, Ziggy will sit on them; it's his way of helping (someone's gotta boost morale around here!)

4. Ziggy likes to coo and purr more than meowing. How stoic!

5. Ziggy loves to take care of his chosen brother Auggie. He's often seen cleaning Auggie and cuddling with him.

Thank you for your contributions & shares, it means the world to Ziggy, Auggie, and me. Warm wishes, Arlo