It took some doing but we FINALLY got through to the emergency vet

and Guardian Angels was able to cover a bit of the cost

so that's a relief

BUT (and there's always a but)

The vet said that, if Bear's not improving any by Monday, he might need surgery, and because of his age, he might not survive it. So I'm stressed and scared and if you have any prayers/good vibes/thoughts for my cat I would really appreciate them

I'm not ready to think about him not being here anymore

How is his condition now? I really hope he'll be okay.

I know from experience how important of a family member cats are, my family has had cats since before I was born and I've been around cats all my life. A few years back, a cat I had tore his ACL and wasn't cleared to have surgery so he had to heal on his own. Receiving the news that he had to be in pain and limp around caused me to white-out and fall on the floor (and now I know why people usually sit down in preparation of bad news). It may come off as dramatic to non-cat-people, but we think of cats as siblings and children.

So I understand your situation and sincerely hope he'll be alright. Sending the good thoughts towards you and Bear.

Really sorry to hear that Bear is unwell :( Any news?

My flatmate got a kitten almost 2 years ago now, and he became ill after about 2 weeks of having him.. Luckily he was still insured from the breeder because he ended up needing to stay at the vet, have x-rays, and all kinds of injections.... He had a 'mass' in his chest, but thankfully it shrunk while he grew. It still scares me that it might become a problem again, though. Whenever he has an especially active play-session and starts panting I get a bit worried!

Thank you so much for your comments <3

Bear's doing much better now. Obviously I'm still watching him like a hawk to make sure he continues to heal. We caught the problem very early, so I'm more optimistic now that he'll make a full recovery~

He's literally been mine since the day he was born, and I had to help wean and raise him and his siblings when their mama died suddenly a few weeks after having them, so in a way he kind of is my baby and that's just made this whole situation so much more stressful than I think it would have been otherwise (not that the thought of losing a different cat wouldn't hurt - I've been there, too - but it just hits your heart different after you held them as a teeny tiny still-wet newborn baby bean and just knew, you know?)

I'm glad to hear that he's doing better, thankfully he got help so early on in the issue. Knowing that you've been there for him since he was born I can see even more why he's so special to you.

I've never had a freshly newborn cat, but my previous cat taken too soon, I did know him since he was a baby, small enough to fit in one hand as he was the runt.

Well wishes for Bear 🐱 ❤

Sending all my thoughts and prayers that his recovery continues and that he'll be back to his normal kitty self.

Our fur babies are a part of our families...We had lost our oldest cat back in 2015 and he was only 12 years old. I thought something was wrong when his stomach became so distended and hard (think beach ball hard) and we rushed him to the vet, where she took out about 1-2 ounces of some type of fluid and had to drain him. She wasn't sure what caused the fluid and gave us the option of running hundreds of dollars' worth of tests without any guarantee that the cause would be found. We opted out and were given heart pills for him as that's what she thought might have caused the problem. Needless to say, he only lasted a week and died in my sister's arms. My mom blames herself as she thinks that we could've found out what the problem was and how it could've been prevented. My other cat (he'll be 14 this October) was so lost without his companion that he would stare up the stairs and wail as he looked for him. Now he wails/moans/howls when he's being ignored :)

Bit of an update: After much stress and worry and a follow-up vet visit, Bear is finally cleared of his previous issue, and now the vet wants to put him on thyroid medication to hopefully deal with some other problems she noticed earlier, but decided were secondary to taking care of his emergency.

(Thanks goodness the meds are pills and not something I would need to inject, and can be hidden inside a bite of tuna!)

Hope everything works out and he feels better soon

Glad to read your update that your fur baby is doing better! I have thyroid issues too and they're no fun. That medication sounds easy to give - my own two cats would move heaven and earth for a bite of tuna lolol