Sammie is a 14-year-old Domestic Shorthair Cat in Ocala, FL, who needs $2,000 for Surgical Removal of Mast Cell Tumors.

Sammie is a rescue that we adopted through Petsmart in 2008. There was an adoption event, and while I wasn't planning on adopting a pet, once I met Sammie I had no choice. He hugged me the first time I picked him up that day. I couldn't stop thinking about him for days and decided to pursue adoption. Life changing!

Sammie is a beloved member of our family. My daughter has had Sammie as a snuggle buddy from the age of 3 to her current age, 17. I work from home and he is right by my side. He provides so much love to our household, helps to ease our anxieties, and makes us laugh especially when he has the zoomies. He is a constant companion, and truly my dearest friend.

Sammie is so gentle and loving. He is a hugger and befriends any and all new folks he meets. He is patient and loving with his younger brother (also a rescue from Ocala's Sheltering Hands). He loves jumping in the bathtub after someone showers, snuggling under soft blankets, and is obsessed with Greenie treats.

Sammie was diagnosed with mast cell sarcoma at our local Banfield veterinary practice. He has two lumps on his neck. We were referred to UF Veterinary Hospital's Oncology Department and completed an evaluation and fine needle aspiration. Tests confirmed that the lumps are mast cell tumors and the course of treatment with the best outcome is sedation and surgery by the surgical oncologists at UF.

Household expenses, rent, Sammie's monthly medical expenses for hyperthyroidism, and inflation have made it increasingly difficult to cover something like this. Having assistance would add many years to his life and joy to our family.