Spike is a 13-year-old Domestic Shorthair Cat in Clyde, NC, who needs $2,000 for Surgical Removal of Carcinoma in GI Tract.

My sweetheart and I adopted Spike from Catman2 Shelter in January 2021. He was supposed to be foster to adopt to see how well he got along with our other senior kitty, Boog. He absolutely stole my heart less than a day after we brought him home. Who was I kidding? He wasn't going anywhere. He has been the most wonderful addition to our family!

Spike is the sweetest boy. He loves to snuggle up on your chest or be the little spoon. He only likes head pets, and we respect boundaries in this family. We adopted Spike because our other sweet senior, Boog, needed a friend after her older sister passed in October 2021. I was nervous because Boog had never been around other cats besides her sister. Spike was the purrfect choice. We are so lucky.

Spike is the first cat I've had that isn't chatty. Instead of meowing, he mrrrps. The only time he really meows is when he's about to have zoomies. It's like the countdown to start the race in Mario Kart. Spike's big sister is SUPER chatty. It's adorable to see how they have influenced each other over the last 2.5 years. Spike mrrrps at us much more often, and Boog makes the zoomie start up noise.

Spike had 3 emergency vet visits from mid December 2022 to early March 2023 for ongoing GI issues. We did a lot of blood work and other tests and nothing was really telling us why the issue kept coming back. The vet recommended that we get him an ultrasound. In late May, the ultrasound showed a mass in his GI tract. Unfortunately, it is cancerous. He needs an expensive surgery to remove it.

We spent about $3000 just to get to this point in his diagnosis. The surgery will cost about $4000. Spike and Boog both have their annual check ups soon, plus Boog has an appointment with a cardiologist. These sweet seniors are racking up vet bills faster than I can keep up.