Please help save my best friend

Felix has cancer.

In 2007 I visited a small pet shop in the middle of nowhere Pennslyvania. In a crowded room full of kittens, I would sit down after work and play with them. One day I noticed a tiny black cat sitting in the corner, depressed, with goopey eyes and a sneeze. For several days straight I would try to coax him over. Day after day the other kittens were being adopted, but this small, sickly looking kitten still remained. Finally one day, as I sat Indian style on the floor, he came over, looked up at me and placing his paws on my leg, laid his little head down. Immediately, I knew there was something special between us.

He suffered from an upper respiratory infection and ringworm; I was told it was more "humane" to end his suffering. I refused and began his treatment. A couple weeks later, he was healthy, active and very vocal. He loved playing with his toys and posing for photos.

I named him Felix. My grandfather passed away the year before and I named him after his favorite character, Felix the Cat. While in PA I would sneak away from work and give him treats and goodies. My apartment didn't allow cats at the time and it took hard work, lots of treats and several hotel stays to avoid anyone finding out.

Eventially my soon to be husband and I moved back to RI. Always ready to adapt, Felix stayed by my side. I swaddled him and kept him on my lap for the entire 9 hours drive to keep him calm.

Throughout the years, he became my confident, my support and most of all, my very best friend.

On my worst days he was always there to make me laugh with his antics. Whether it was sneaking crumbs, hamming it up with hilarious poses or having very vocal conversations, he was there.

About 10 years ago, I became very ill. I've had more than 9 surgeries on my spine, have gone through chemotherapy and have been in a coma. And through it all, Felix was there. I would often face time him from the hospital and he would greet me by rubbing the phone and yelling for me. One night at home when I was throwing up, he calmed me down by rubbing my legs. In evenings when the pain was overwelming, he would lay his head on me and cover my hand with his paw.

Despite turning 16 in a couple months, Felix has always been very active, happy and talkative. He spends his days playing with his favorite toys, running around with his brother and snuggling with me.

Two days ago, we immediately noticed he stopped eating his food and was lethargic and jaundiced. After an emergency visit to our vet, and several xrays and tests later, it was determind he has cancer. We've talked everything out with his doctor and it appears the type of lymphoma he has responds extremely well to chemotherapy. As opposed to only using anti-inflammatories to reduce the size of the enlarged lymph node, which would extend his life by around 5 months at best, chemo would likely add several years of good quality life, painless life. He's being currently on appetite stimulants and antinausea medication and after 24 hours, is already significantly less jaunced and is eating again. Tomorrow we'll start anti-inflammatories while we wait for treatment.

The total cost of chemotherapy including visits, medical treatment and testing is between $5000-6000. As I'm a diabetic with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and possibly MS, medical and RX bills for myself take up most of the funds we have each month.

My husband and I are desperate to save his life. There's a 2 month window before Felix will need to start treatment and we will be doing everything we can to obtain the funds necessary. He deserves to live the rest of his life out, happy, content and healthy. The thought of him dying because we are unable to access treatment, is tearing me apart.

Please help us save him. He's not only my very best friend but someone who has a large piece of my heart. I am starting an aggressive form of treatment in a week, with hopes I will go into remission. I would not be able to endure this pain without him.

Anything you can give will help us.

Felix, Charlie and myself thank you deeply.