Cheddar is an Orange Tabby in Raleigh, NC, who needs $450 for Juvenile Cobalamin Deficiency.

Cheddar and his twin Nacho could not be sweeter kittens. They had a terrible start to their little lives by ending up in a rural North Carolina shelter. But in April, they were saved by Carolina Cat Rescue and placed in foster care. Cheddar is a loving kitten who is a great snuggle buddy. He is a happy boy and successfully battled an upper respiratory after entering into our care.

He was on the mend, but his foster mom started noticing that Nacho (his twin brother) was getting much bigger and Cheddar (although super hungry) was not gaining weight. We were not sure why he was hungry, eating like crazy, but staying the same weight. Cheddar is a special boy and we knew his situation was not normal.

He was playful and happy but not growing and that was worrisome. We contacted our vet - Dr. Chris Kelly at Companion Animal Hospital and took him in for an exam. He was thin. His brother weighed 8 ounces more than he did and we needed to figure this out. Cheddar was tested for parasites and panleukopenia - both results were normal.

The vet then suggested a mal-digestion profile to look for abnormalities in his digestive system. He also underwent a test for his pancreas. The tests results gave us the answer we needed - he has Juvenile Cobalamin Deficiency. His body is not absorbing vitamin B12. B12 is an essential vitamin for cats immune system, nervous system, digestive tract, for healthy cognitive function.

Cheddar started receiving weekly B12 injections . He will need to undergo more testing to see if his body is able to absorb B12 from the food he eats. We are happy that we found out what was wrong & we could help him thrive. The test was costly but worth it to save his life. Please help Carolina Cat Rescue raise the money necessary to cover Cheddar's medical bill.