Aphrodite needs your help :)

Hi friends and fellow cat lovers~

My li'l kitty Aphrodite has a broken neck. Her and I need your help.

Pleeeeease try to help out if you can. I am so exhausted with this and if you have any advice I would love to hear it.

Thank you and please forward to everyone you know. She's not going to be able to stay with me if I don't get help. She's the love of my life.

Much love,

Marisa and Dite

Just a friendly reminder


5. Solicitations – TheCatSite.com does not encourage or promote solicitation of money from our members. We will help in every way possible with our knowledge and support, but as many of us have multi-cat households and work with local rescue groups, monetary support is not always possible to causes or people we do not personally know. Members are allowed one posting in the SOS forum for each organization. Repeated postings for the same cause or organization will be deleted.

The needs of rescue workers are great and we recognize this fact. To care for multiple cats, find suitable homes, good vet care, food, etc. is costly. From time to time you will see some posts come up to ask for donations for a cause. It is YOUR responsibility to check out these solicitors to the best of your ability. More often, you will see pleas from individuals asking for money to be sent directly to them to assist with veterinary bills. Some come up with slick websites, others just have heartwrenching stories. In each of these cases, the poster is allowed ONE thread, to be placed in Cats SOS.

In either case, if you feel compelled to donate money ask for references, phone numbers, call around the area and find out if this is a legitimate cause or a scam. For personal pleas, get the veterinarianâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s contact information and send money directly to the veterinarian to help with bills for that particular cat. If that information is not available, you have the answer if the plea is legitimate or a scam.

Be very careful before you send any money: no matter how effective the plea is, check it out first before opening your wallet.

I appreciate the notice. It's fine. I've already been called a scam. I'm in the process of putting up a video to hopefully make that thought nonexistant. I will repost this in the correct place if I am needed to. I am brand new here. Also, if anyone is interested I can definitely give my vets information. She has been taken care of at Care Animal Hospital in Arvada, CO on 80th and Kipling St by some amazing vets. I can talk to them about directly taking donations. That is actually a really good idea. I understand that *everyone* posts on every cat site available to ask for help. I have run out of credit cards and recently my available credit was dropped and all the scheduled payments cannot come out and have nowhere to come from. I don't have anything anymore and I only have one wish for this new year and it is that me, my boyfriend and my baby girl are all healthy and happy.

Take care~
Marisa

Hi there,

I'm relatively new to this site but have seen many oldtimers here suggest to those who are in financial need (for vet bills), to contact this company:

http://www.carecredit.com/

Many seem to have used them to help with crazy high Vet bills and say good things about them. I never have but it appears that they lend you the money and then you have a certain time period to pay it back.......and it it's within a certain period there's no interest (quite a long period, actually - 18 months or more?)

You'd have to ask your Vet clinic, I think, if they would be willing to accept payment this way, that seems to be what I've read? You might want to call Care Credit and get the details because I'm not really sure; if they're loaning you the money I'm not sure what the Vet has to do with things; maybe they require the Vet to verify the legitimacy of the Vet bills or something?

This is another site that helps with financial costs for pets. I used them once many years ago, when I had sky-high vet bills from a very ill stray cat I rescued:

http://www.imom.org/

Here is another one that has a good reputation; I actually donated some money to them a couple of years ago, when I was in a better financial position:

http://felineoutreach.org/Assistance.asp

OOPS - I just read on the Feline Outreach site that they're currently unable to provide financial assistance but they do have a link of other organizations/agencies that may be able to help, here is that link:

http://felineoutreach.org/Organizations.asp

Hope this helps
Lisa

Well, I believe you about your vet. I googled it in street view.

Best of luck with your cat, your story truly breaks my heart.

You are all wonderful Good luck with your lil Maverick and the other 2. It is all worth it in the end.

Originally Posted by runawayrisa

You are all wonderful

Good luck with your lil Maverick and the other 2. It is all worth it in the end.

Click to expand...

Another choice for an emergency grant is UAN - United Animal Nations. You can google them and find their web site.

Originally Posted by AddieBee

Another choice for an emergency grant is UAN - United Animal Nations. You can google them and find their web site.

Click to expand...

UAN is a wonderful organization. They just helped me with an emergency grant for a young cat I rescued who needs surgery. Here's the link to their grant information:

http://www.uan.org/index.cfm?navid=28

Good luck with your kitty. I'll be sending lots of prayers her way.

The only problem I see when I read through this organization web sites is that she is released from the clinic. I didn't know about any of these organizations until after it happened. And honestly, I had one chance to make a decision. The night it happened. I had to choose to keep her or to give her away and I chose to keep her. I rescued her and because of -how- that happened I know her and I were meant to be. So.......... does anyone have experience with this orgs helping them after the fact??? After you made the decision without knowing how you were going to handle things financially...?

THANK YOU!

Marisa,

All I can suggest is that you contact the various agencies -- explain the situation, the she was a cat you rescued, she had this terrible accident where she was stepped on, and you were then put into a situation that night where you had to make a split second decision on how to proceed, and your heart compelled you to proceed, despite the cost, maybe not knowing at that point in time just how much the cost would climb to......and now you're faced with an exorbitant Vet bill and much difficulty paying it.............and could they help you pay down the bill. Talk to them, explain all this, they're the ones who will ultimately make the decision if they can help -- even if it seems clear from their site that they help "at the time" and not "after the fact." You never know until you try and I don't think you have anything to lose.

How is kitty doing now?

What is the prognosis? Will she have to wear the splint/brace forever? (if so, I hate to say it but that seems like a very uncomfortable life for a poor cat)

Will she need surgery in the future?

Does she seem happy and content, able to get around, eat okay, use the litterbox?

Where do things stand with the Vet that you owe $3000 to? Do you have a deadline for when this must be paid? Have you asked about whether he'd be willing to accept monthly post-dated checks so that you can pay it off over a 6 month period or something like that?

Do you have any thing you could sell to make some money?

If you weren't able to get anywhere with Care Credit, what about if your boyfriend applied? Maybe his credit is different?

"How is kitty doing now?"

She is doing well. She keeps her head up (literally) and purrrrrrs all the time. I try to cuddle with her as much as I can. She eats really well (she has always been a lil piglet), she uses the litter box on her own. We don't let her leave the dog kennel on her own, though. We keep it closed so she doesn't try to jump anywhere.

"What is the prognosis? Will she have to wear the splint/brace forever? (if so, I hate to say it but that seems like a very uncomfortable life for a poor cat)"

THe neurologist says she has to wear the splint for 2 months and it has been exactly 3 weeks. She has had one splint change and this new one is a lot more comfortable for her. Although--- the tape got old and we just had to retape her head cause one side ripped off. That was quite the scare. She is all secure now, though.

"Will she need surgery in the future?"

This one I do not know. Hopefully the scar tissue is going to rescue us here. That is what we are counting on. We need to be very gentle with her for a long while though.. prob her whole life.


"Does she seem happy and content, able to get around, eat okay, use the litterbox?"

She seems bored. We take her out every 2 hours to pet her and like I said I *cuddle* with her and try to talk and sing to her. She seems to like it as much as she can. When my hair hangs she eyes it and tries to move her arms to play a lil with it.

"Where do things stand with the Vet that you owe $3000 to? Do you have a deadline for when this must be paid? Have you asked about whether he'd be willing to accept monthly post-dated checks so that you can pay it off over a 6 month period or something like that? "

We are on a payment plan. Unfortunately that extends out well into next year and they have let me know that I need to pay upfront on the next splint change... which costs $400 approx each time we do that for anesthesia, etc. She is growing so we need to be aware of that. The doctors are very very sweet, very wonderful, the owner of the clinic actually raised this litter before she got to me and they are doing everything in their power to make this kitten better but they DO have a business to run. So I am trying to make enough to be able to pay for that splint but as a server and with the economy the way it is,, it's difficult. Not to mention I was just in the hospital in August with no insurance. Ugh. SO we are trying.

"Do you have any thing you could sell to make some money?"
Yeah we have a game console we are trying to sell and also we make jewelry. Trying to get that on etsy very soon. SO little time!!! AHhh!!!


"If you weren't able to get anywhere with Care Credit, what about if your boyfriend applied? Maybe his credit is different?"

Shawn can't get it either. We aren't in terrible credit, just don't have perfect credit.. It's hard when you're young.

I am going to try what you said and contact all of those orgs. AT least then I can say I tried. Thank you so much for caring. You have some wonderful questions and advice. I am going to take you up on it!!!

Much love~~

Marisa

This is just a lil message to let you all know - Dite is out of her splint! Dite was given a new splint on Friday. This actually made her more miserable. Today is Tuesday and I called this morning to see if there was something they could do to make her more comfortable - maybe even a redo - but I was shocked with a different result. The doc called me saying they think they want to try just a neck brace. She consulted with another doc and also the neurologist and was excited to hear back that she thought a soft bandage would suffice! Holy sh*t!!! I heard the risks involved - she could be paralyzed, could stop breathing, could return to square one - but by taking that huge risk she could also thrive. We decided to go ahead and take it off. Dite came to and was excited. She is walking and moving on her own. She can eat regular hard food (which she eats so fast that she acts like she is throwing up sometimes. Ha ha. Little piglet. We are so happy. All the blood, sweat, tears and everything - EVERYTHING - has been worth it. We are tired, we are crying, we are smiling and laughing. Dite doesn't even know what to do with herself. We have three to four weeks of her being strictly in the dog kennel and under close supervision when out of her pen but she will get through that and be able to enjoy her kitty years. I can't thank my doctors enough. I can't thank my boyfriend enough. I can't thank all of you for caring and for your love and donations ENOUGH. I love you guys! Thank you so much for being a part of this with me.

Merry Christmas! XOXO

Oh my God!!! That is wonderful news!!! I hope she keeps getting better and better! Please post pictures with her without the splint!!
Way to go Dite! WAy to go Marisa!

I think about your kitty a lot, and have been sending warm thoughts your way. I hope the healing continues and she makes a full recovery soon!

Thank you all!!!! That means a lot to me~ You know I wish I could be on here more to read everything but I think you guys are all some of the sweetest people ever. This is where I come when I have a question or just wanna read up on behavior and such.

I just want to say that it would have been easy to just give Dite up. This is something I am in some big debt for (Thank you for those donations, you know who you are) and it's still not quite over. But my bf Shawn told me how proud he is of me for sticking to my guns 100% and never backing down from my original decision and I am, too. It was a hard hard thing to go through (we're stronger!) but I found support in certain areas (here being one of them!) and I am so thankful this lil angel has a chance at life. Hopefully if any of you are ever in tough situations this could be a story for the books.