Scout’s medical bills

Hi, my name is Audrey, and I’m raising money to pay for medical bills for my new kitty, Scout.

Last week, I adopted Scout from a local cat cafe that collaborates with the Kentucky Humane Society. I wasn’t planning on adopting a cat, but Scout touched my heart and was so sweet and loving, I wanted to give her a good home. Before I tell you about her medical conditions, I should probably tell you about mine, and why I decided to adopt her.

Unfortunately, this year has started off rocky for me. Beginning the first week of January, I went through a mental health crisis that affected every part of my life, from work, sleep, and even time with family. I have suffered from anxiety since I was younger, but in this case, I was so anxious I couldn’t leave my house. I am fortunately not experiencing anxiety to that extent now, but it still hasn’t completely gone away (and probably won’t). In addition to seeking medical and psychological help, I also tossed around the idea of getting a cat of my own to be an emotional support animal of sorts. When I met Scout, I knew she would help me immensely, and she already does! I am so much more relaxed and happier when I cuddle with her, and having a pet to take care of gives me motivation to get through each day.

Two days after adoption, I took Scout to the vet on the recommendation of the adoption counselor for a general checkup. The only odd thing I noticed was that she was sneezing a lot, which I told the vet. When she was examined, Scout was running a fever, which really concerned the vet. After tests performed in the lab, Scout was diagnosed with tapeworms, two viruses (feline herpesvirus and feline calcivirus), and a bacterial infection. All three are contributing to her upper respiratory infection (URI). The total of the visit, tests, and medication came out to a little over $380. I was not prepared for these expenses, and I’m unsure if insurance will cover it.

Sadly, the two viruses will stay in Scout’s body for the rest of her life, and will flare up when she gets stressed. Next month she will be getting more vaccinations, which will hopefully help lessen symptoms, but in the future, more flare ups will result in more prescriptions, supplements, and visits to the vet.

It takes 7-14 days for the URI to run its course. Even though she’s on antibiotics, the poor kitty is miserable; she’s sneezing constantly, she can barely breathe out of her nose, and her eyes are inflamed. My biggest fear is her not being able to breathe! I’m desperate to make her pain go away, which will mean more medicine and more expenses for me. I’m also trying to save up for graduate school, which I will be starting in the fall, so I am begging for just a small donation to Scout’s medical fund to help ease my financial burden. I adopted Scout under the presumption that she was healthy, that the only thing she needed right now was a booster vaccine, so the rug was swept out from under me a little bit.

Anything donated will go towards paying Scout’s future medical bills and expenses. Please help me help my sweet kitty, she is already a huge light in my life.