Banyan is a 7 year old Mix-Breed in Portland, ME, who needs $1,136 for Dental Extended Care Prophylaxis.

I adopted Banyan (originally named Bandit) from the HART cat shelter in Cumberland, ME. in August/2023. I'd just moved from Portland's West End (after 31 years) to the Deering/Evergreen neighborhood, and wanted to adopt a second cat. Banny was a surrender. His elderly owner developed dementia and had other serious health problems. She could no longer care for him and her family didn't want him.

Banny was taken to a veterinarian to be euthanized: he wasn't sick, he was just inconvenient. The vet refused, and instead got him to HART. I met B shortly after, right at the time when Lahaina, Maui (Hawaii) had the huge fire that destroyed the town and killed 100 people. But the famous old banyan tree there survived, just as Banyan had survived euthanasia here. That's how he got his new name.

Banyan gets annual health exams. On his last visit in April, I was told that he had tooth decay, plaque build-up, & gingivitis, and will need costly dental care. While I budget for both of my cats for yearly exams, the $1,600 price tag is simply more than I can afford. Banny has come a long way from his early days of hissing & biting, to being the silly, quirky, lovable companion he is today.

I am trying to get Banyan the care he deserves. I'm a senior living on a fixed income in subsidized housing. I never saw this extraordinary expense coming. What makes the cost high is the bloodwork, X-rays, and procedure medication.