Pignoli is a one-year-old Domestic Shorthair in New York, NY, who needs $2,000 for ear surgery.

Kristina D. knew the precious looking orange and white kitten she saw in an online adoption photo was destined to be hers. "He was lying upside down. He looked like a little goofball," Kristina says. "He had been found wandering the streets of New York City." She raced over to the shelter, adopted him, and named him Pignoli, after her favorite Italian cookie.

Shortly after Kristina brought Pignoli home, she noticed what looked like black dirt in his ears. It turns out that was a warning sign of a big problem. In the following months, Pignoli suffered through a long road of ear infections, vet appointments, X-rays, and surgery consults. The final diagnosis: Pignoli has severe polyps deep inside both of his ears that need to be removed. "We're really upset. I'm a mess," Kristina tells Waggle in tears. "I'm sorry I'm crying. It's quite a big surgery. They have to drill a bit into his skull."

Kristina knows Pignoli is in good hands with the surgical team at Animal Emergency Referral Associates, but Kristina is panicked about how to pay the bill. She thought she did everything right and bought pet insurance for Pignoli, but the company denied the claim, saying his polyps were a pre-existing condition. "We appealed it. I wrote a letter. I had my own vet write a letter. They would not budge," Kristina says.

Kristina is a social worker, and her partner is a full-time student. They are living on one income and sick with worry about finances. They want to get Pignoli his surgery right away. If he doesn't have the operation, his situation could become dire. "The polyps can grow as he grows, and they could grow into his throat cavity and cause breathing problems," Kristina says. "They could grow and mess up things with his nerve endings. He shakes his head a lot. He knows the polyps are there. If he keeps shaking, it could also cause nerve damage."