Bernie is a 2.4-year-old Domestic Shorthair Cat in Long Island City, NY, who needs $447 for Empiric Deworming and Antibiotic Therapy.

Bernie was adopted from a rescue in January 2022. After his humans were forced to move out of their apartment in Queens NYC due to flooding from Hurricane Ida, they really missed their daily visitor, an older, black and white stray cat. A few months later when the humans were settled in their new apartment, they saw young Bernie via an adoption site and knew he was the perfect kitty for them.

Bernie has been quite calm natured and not very high energy since the beginning. He sometimes meows for attention and comes to give head butts in the morning, and does cute enthusiastic roll overs to greet you. There’s one wand toy that he especially likes to play with, so it’s become quite shabby and hard to define that it’s supposedly a bird.

When Bernie is called his name, he’ll often come trotting to meet the caller even if he’s hiding somewhere. A few months ago, Bernie’s learned to do “Gimme five” for treats. Though recently, he’ll put his paw up before anyone even says the magic words.

A couple of weeks ago, Bernie appeared to be breathing faster than usual, with more effort. As it worsened, he began to have dry sounding cough attacks. After going to the vet where x-rays were taken, Bernie was diagnosed with severe bronchitis, probably resulting from parasitic, viral and/or bacterial etiologies. To treat this, antibiotic therapy and deworming medication must be administered.

We need help to pay for the treatment as both of us are aspiring freelancers; one in the performing arts, the other, working part-time at a npo for immigrants. Bernie has helped us be happy after the devastating flood, and we truly want him to have a happy healthy life.