Viv’s Surgery Cost

Hi family & friends,

Thanks for clicking through to this. As some of you know, our dear cat Vivian suffered a pretty gnarly leg injury.

One night just before the 4th of July, someone set off a firework right outside our bedroom window (we thought it was a gunshot at first, it was SO loud). Viv got super spooked, fell out of her window hammock, and landed wrong on her foot. We knew something was wrong immediately — she was wailing in pain :-(

It was really tough to get her in to see a vet, so it was a scary couple days when we didn’t know what was going on. Eventually she got some x-rays and a surgery consultation. She tore multiple ligaments, displaced her tarsal bone (kitty’s equivalent of a wrist), and got a compression fracture on another bone in that foot. Since the tarsal bone was “free-floating,” they recommended surgery to give her the best chance of being able to walk on that foot again without pain. She got a metal plate and 3 screws in her leg. Very intense for, as the surgeon said, "A heavy kitty with very tiny feet."

Needless to say, we have an intense road to recovery with Viv, and a pretty hefty set of vet bills.

All in all, the surgery was $4,800 which includes all the post-op checkups, prescription meds, follow-up X-rays, etc. There will likely be some additional costs on top of that (sedation during follow-ups, unforeseen additional medication, etc.) We are definitely feeling overwhelmed about the financial weight of the surgery, but we’re grateful to finally have answers and confident bb kitty will make a full recovery. Thankfully she’s still eating/drinking normally and asking for plenty of belly rubs!

It’s always tough asking for / allowing others to financially contribute to a personal bill, especially knowing tons of folks are likewise on a tight budget. BUT with some encouragement from family and friends, we decided to just put it out there and allow people the option to show up how they feel best!

So we’re putting it out there — if you’re able to / would like to financially contribute to this cost, any amount would be incredibly helpful. We're very grateful to those who continue to reach out and check in to see how Viv is doing. :-)

This has been a stressful situation to navigate, so we’d also love any of your thoughts, prayers, and good vibes as we continue to navigate her post-surgery recovery.

Thanks for taking the time to hear the whole Viv update! She’s a very important part of our lives (she IS the best of the kitties, after all).