Sterling is a 5-year-old Nebelung cat in Lakewood, CO, who needs $1,000 for dental cleaning, teeth extractions, bloodwork, a biopsy of a lesion on his tongue, pain medication, and microchip with registration.

Sterling was one of two cats given to me in September 2019. I was told he had dental problems and the foster mom said she would cover the expenses.
In the short period I have been blessed with his company he has been extremely skittish and will not allow me to handle him. The foster mom has come on some hard times as well, both medically and financially and she still has 5 other foster cats to care for. Sterling was desperately underweight when he arrived and I immediately began feeding him small amounts of wet, canned food several times a day.
This was followed by a little more trust in me, however, he drooled constantly and I had to bathe him; he soon stopped grooming altogether.
I was able to get him to the vet his foster mom uses and he is familiar with. I was told he had developed severe gingivitis and a lesion on his tongue which made it nearly impossible for him to eat or drink water. The vet's assistant injected a small amount of fluids between Sterling's shoulder blades. He will need blood tests to check his liver and kidney function, the vet wants a biopsy of his tongue, and eventually he must have all of his teeth removed. We were given antibiotics and pain relievers for one week, which were completed Sunday, January 12.

I have to leave the room when I feed Sterling or he will not even approach his dish. The remnants of food in his water dish suggest he is getting some water.
About halfway through the antibiotic/pain medications, Sterling began gobbling the wet food I put down for him with some Kitten Milk Replacement powder mixed into it. He has since been able to lap up some water and is more active. I have gradually increased the amount of food I give him and now he is eating a full can of wet food a day. I feed him when he comes to see me on the couch and bed and now he races to the kitchen, talking constantly and standing on his hind legs while I mix his food.
I have noticed he is attempting to groom as well, however, some fur has gotten stuck on one of the loose teeth protruding from his lower jaw, yet he will not allow me to get close enough to his mouth to remove it. Since coming home from the vet he has allowed me to bathe him very limitedly and brush him for short periods, and only if I am lying down. I work with him from the couch, on the living room floor, and from the bed.
Last night I noticed a swollen area that looks like a cyst or boil next to his anus. It is not oozing but must be painful.

During the day and especially when he seems more fearful than usual and/or when I leave the apartment, I play Cat Relaxation music which includes soft music, sounds of nature such as birds chirping, and purring vibrations that repeat regularly throughout the 15+ hour long recording. He really seems to relax a little more each time he comes out of hiding while the music plays.

It is my belief that Sterling has been abused and neglected by the previous owner or someone who was allowed contact with him on a regular basis.

I was not prepared for such an extremely frightened and unhealthy cat, and I do not have the financial options available as I did not get insurance coverage prior to receiving these boys in my life.