Paying it forward
I received a message from a friend on the other side of the world last night – somebody I have known for years. I think our story started back when Tumblr first appeared – or maybe it was before that? I forget.
We’ve followed each other, liked each other’s posts, and occasionally commented. We’ve disappeared from each other’s radar for a year here and there, but never entirely lost touch. It’s been the better part of 15 years.
Anyway.
I need to tell a story first.
Back at the beginning of the pandemic both myself and my other half found ourselves working full time – neither of us were furloughed. Given the uncertainty in the economy at the time, we cut off all unecessary outgoings, and actually had savings in the bank for the first time in years.
And then the cat got sick.
Our big old ginger farm cat “George” peed himself in the middle of the lounge one day. Cats don’t do that. A trip to the vet discovered all manner of complications that resulted in the need for pretty major surgery. Surgery that would burn through all of his pet insurance, and all of our savings.
I remember having the conversation with the children – that we could either call it – stop fighting nature – and let George go, or we could throw everything we had in the world at him, and save his life.
We didn’t go on holiday for two years.
Yes, we’re idiots.
George is still with us, increasingly bad tempered, but will always be the last of three brothers that arrived shortly after the girls in our lives. We often joke that he inherited his brothers lives when they passed away, and has been working through them at a rate of knots. He’s been run over, and survived major surgery three times so far.
So.
Jess messaged me, asking if I might help. It’s worth noting that she’s one of the strongest, most fiercely independent people I’ve ever known – so asking for help must have been incredibly hard.
She adopted a cat from a local rescue place – “Jiggles” – a ginger cat that she and her daughter begrudgingly fell in love with. What is it about ginger cats?
Unbeknown to them, Jiggles entered the house carrying an invasive skin condition that rapidly spread to their other cat, and to her daughter. They managed to deal with it the first time – putting themselves in debt in the process – and all was well. Until it wasn’t.
And that’s why the message arrived last night.
Without the war chest we lucked-into to save our cat’s life, I thought I might tell this story, and ask those that read my blog if they might also be able to chip in and help. Jess has setup a “GoFundMe” for the first time in her life at the link below, and tells the full story:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/fund-jiggles-and-catsbys-medical-care