# Special needs cat needs a home in PA



## Andrilla1

_This is a facebook post from my friend Marian that I am sharing with her permission. She truly loves her little kitties, and I know this is breaking her heart. She lives near York PA, and I'm sure that she would do whatever it takes to get him a new home_

We are in need of an angel!!! It is with a heavy heart that I need to find a new home for my four year old cat Vince. After falling ill several months ago, we discovered that Vince had swallowed a nickel. The coin was removed successfully and Vince is now strong and healthy but the damage done to his kidneys and bladder has made it mandatory that he eat a very special, expensive prescription food--Royal Canin Urinary SO Diet. We are a one income family and are struggling greatly. We have tried for 4 months to make this work but we cannot manage it any longer. I love this cat with my whole heart. He has been my baby since he was just 6 weeks old. He needs a loving home with a parent who will give him belly rubs and let him snuggle with them at bedtime and be able to afford the cost of his food. Vince is best suited for a home with no children and no other pets. Vince gets along with his brothers but only because he has known them his whole life. Vince is neutered but has not been declawed. I will provide all of his medical records. Vince is a very emotional cat and will create a deep attachment with his caregiver. He has a difficult time with change and needs someone who will be loving and comforting to him. He is a sweet boy and he deserves to be with someone who can give him everything he needs. If you believe that person is you, please comment or message me ASAP for more details. Please share this post if you think you know someone who would be a good parent for my sweet Vince. We are not asking for any money for this adoption. Just that you love him with your whole heart.

_They have two cats and a new baby, the money that they saved up for emergencies has already been used up. The Royal Canin Urinary SO Diet costs $37 for a 7.7lb bag at petsmart and is only obtainable with a prescription from the vet. (Royal Canin® Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Cat Food - Dry Food - Food - PetSmart if you want to check it out) She really does love her animals, and it kills her that she is not able to provide for them. I think the honestly posts more pictures of her cats on Facebook than she does her kid!

If you can take this awesome guy, or know someone who can, or even just have advice, please let me know so that I can pass it along to Marian._


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## dt8thd

That's an awful situation for your friend to be in.  Has she tried contacting any financial assistance organizations? There are a number of charitable organizations that exist specifically to provide donation-subsidized veterinary care (which should apply in Vince's case) to those who can't otherwise afford to care for their pets. Something like this would be a great option if Marian were able to secure the financial assistance to pay for Vince's food, as it would allow her to keep him too!

A quick google search came up with websites for a number of different organizations, such as "The Pet Fund" The Pet Fund | Veterinary Care Funding. The Pet Fund website itself has a links page, which lists other such resources, Helpful Links | The Pet Fund | Veterinary Funding Assistance.

I hope this helps; it sounds like Marian really loves her kitty!


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## Carmel

If she is willing to try other foods, I would suggest looking into this list of non-prescription foods:

Dry Cat Food Data USA, the lowest food is Now! Grain Free Turkey with Duck, which is still not inexpensive but less money per pound than the food at Petsmart.

If you check the list, which was made for kidney disease, I find it can also apply to any kind of bladder health... these kibble diets are at the lower end for phosphorous, which is one of the things to avoid when a cat has these problems (along with avoiding magnesium, but with low phosphorous I will assume it's lower in many other minerals).

There are better foods out there that you can find in pet stores. It's a pretty well known fact that vets can prescribe these foods unnecessarily -- just a few months ago I had the vet assistants trying to get Jasper on these sort of foods when it had already been determined that his peeing problems were stress related! I was pretty outraged on reflection at them trying to throw in these expensive foods that are completely_ not _related to his problem; I look at his blood work and everything looked pretty good!

The foods on this list are low in phosphorous, which is one of the important factors in a cat with these sort of problems. Although I am a litle mystified that Vince requires it after swallowing a nickle... so I would also ask for a second opinion from a vet on if he really requires this food. Another option is to post his blood work results online and ask for second opinion, some members here are good at reading the test results. If they do not have blood work results on hand they may ask for them from the vet, the vet will have them on record and they must provide the results when requested.

Good luck!


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## gizmothecat

Awww that IS an awful situation


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## 10cats2dogs

Ok...now I'm shedding tears...
It would be so wonderful if he could stay with his family....
Prayers and Hugs


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## Andrilla1

I've shared all of your ideas with Marian. I haven't heard back from her yet on what she is going to do, so she is probably looking over them and thinking about them. She is very thankful for all of the help. My mom had also suggested that she contact the manufacturer directly and explain the situation. Some manufacturers have been known to sell their products at-cost rather than retail price in certain situations. It is a long shot, but worth a try! 

For the moment, she has friends who are helping her out and buying cat food, but she knows that this is a long term issue, and they aren't going to be able to help forever.


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## BartBuzz

If you order the 17.6 lb. bag from Chewy.com, you can reduce the cost from about $4.75 per pound, to $3.41 per pound. 

It's $59.99 for 17.6 lb. 

I hope that helps a little. Sending good thoughts.


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