san diego, california hugh abcess on neck of feral cat that is asking me for help

does anyone know of a organization that will pay for emergent vet care.  I have been feeding this cat lucy for 2 yrs.  her owner lived in the next apartment building from me and moved away without her.  I have been caring for her ever since. EVERY SINGLE DAY but now she has a huge abscess on her neck the size of 2 golf balls.  I do not have the money for this.  I don't know what to do.  does anyone know of an organization they can point me in the right direction for assistance in paying the vet bill.

Hi Lost Mittens,

Sorry you haven't had any replies yet. I'll be back in an hour or so with a longer post, but in the mean time here are a few organisations that might be able to help you.

OK, I'm back.

As you've been caring for Lucy for a long time and as she had a previous owner I guess it will be quite easy for you to get her into a cat carrier. Have you tried picking her up before? If you don't feel comfortable picking her up, start feeding her in a cat carrier now so that when the time comes to take her to the vet it will be easy to shut the door and get her there.

Is the abscess on the back of her neck? I wonder if she was scruffed by a tom cat trying to mate with her and got injured that way. If she hasn't been spayed yet you'll need to get that done too. Lots of the organisations on the list above will be able to help with spaying. It would be a good idea to check out cheap spay and neuter clinics in your area, or try and find a group that does TNR. Getting her spayed will prevent her getting further injuries or being exposed to disease, as well as meaning you don't end up with dozens of kittens to care for.

I hope some of this is helpful. Thank you for caring for Lucy, keep us updated on how it goes.