Bender
Help Bender get Chest Tubes/IV Antibiotics/Hospitalization — Elkton, MD
Elkton, MD
The Story of Bender ❤️ Bender was never supposed to happen. And now, I truly can’t imagine my life without him. One completely ordinary day, I walked into PetSmart to buy cat food. I had absolutely no intention of adopting another cat. But sometimes, the best things in life happen when you least expect them. The moment I held Spot, I knew I wanted him. At the time, there was an adoption event offering a second kitten’s adoption for free when you adopted one. Spot was alone in a cage with another little grey kitten, and I couldn’t bring myself to take one home and leave the other behind. So, at just four months old, I walked out of PetSmart with my BOGO boys: Bender and Spot. What started as an unplanned trip for cat food turned into a love I never knew I was missing. Bender is my smallest cat, but he has one of the biggest personalities and the most loving hearts. He has never met a stranger. He loves being held, wants to be involved in absolutely everything, and will happily ride around on your shoulders like a little parrot. He has always been the kind of cat who makes everyone feel like his favorite person. He and Spot are a bonded pair in every sense of the word. Wherever you find one, you can almost always find the other. They grew up together, and their lives have been intertwined from the very beginning. Bender also has two other siblings, Queso and Piggy, who are part of our little family. But one of the things that makes Bender so special to me is something he has always done without ever being taught. I can say his name just once, and he will come running to me from wherever he is in the house. I never trained him to do this. He simply learned that when I called, I wanted him near me — and being near me was exactly where he wanted to be. That is who Bender is. He is a little shadow, a constant companion, and a source of unconditional love. He has never needed a reason to come find me. He just wants to be close. And now, I want to do everything I can to make sure I get to keep hearing those little footsteps running toward me for many more years. Bender isn’t just a pet I happened to bring home one day. He is family. He is Spot’s other half. He is one of my babies, and he has filled my life with so much love simply by being himself. I never walked into PetSmart that day expecting to find him. But I walked out with a little grey kitten who would become such a huge part of my heart. I would choose him a thousand times over. Recently, my sweet Bender began experiencing difficulty breathing. What started as a frightening change in his breathing quickly became a medical emergency that led us to an unexpected and serious diagnosis: pyothorax, a dangerous infection that causes pus and infected fluid to accumulate inside the chest cavity, around the lungs. When this fluid builds up, it takes away the space the lungs need to expand properly, making it difficult for a cat to breathe. Without treatment, pyothorax can become life-threatening. Bender was taken to an emergency veterinarian, where the fluid was drained from his chest with a needle procedure called a thoracocentesis, and antibiotics were started to fight the infection. I am incredibly grateful that he received that initial treatment, but draining the fluid is only part of the battle. The infection itself still needs to be controlled, and there is a serious risk that fluid could accumulate again. The recommended treatment for pyothorax can involve hospitalization, continued drainage, intravenous antibiotics, and, in some cases, surgery to help remove infected material and allow the chest to heal. The right course of treatment depends on how Bender responds and the extent of the infection. Unfortunately, the initial emergency visit cost approximately $2,000, and the possibility of continued emergency care, hospitalization, and surgery is financially overwhelming. I want to be completely transparent: I am trying to navigate a frightening medical situation while facing costs that I simply cannot manage on my own. I am not asking for help because Bender is just a pet. I am asking because he is family. He is a four-month-old kitten I never planned to adopt who grew into one of the most loving, affectionate little souls I have ever known. He has so much personality, so much love to give, and so much life ahead of him. I want to give him every reasonable chance to recover, but I cannot do it alone. Every donation, no matter the amount, would help me pursue the care Bender needs. Contributions will go toward his veterinary bills, medications, follow-up appointments, and any additional treatment his condition requires. Even sharing his story could help us reach someone who is able to make a difference. If you are unable to donate, please know that sharing this fundraiser means more than you might realize. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Bender, for caring about his life, and for helping me fight for the little boy who has spent his whole life running toward me whenever I call his name. I just want to give him the chance to keep doing that. ❤️ There is something about Bender that is hard to put into words. He has this quiet way of making himself part of every moment, and our home would not be the same without him. He isn’t just one of my cats; he is a little piece of my heart, and the thought of losing him is something I am struggling to process. My animals are family, and I know how lucky I am to have them. They bring comfort, happiness, and so much love into my life in ways that are difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced that kind of bond. Bender is so deeply loved, not just by me, but by the little family he is part of. What makes this situation especially heartbreaking is that Bender is still so full of life. He has so much personality and so much more life I want him to experience. I want more ordinary days with him, more cuddles, more of his little quirks, and more time watching him grow alongside his siblings. He means the world to me, and I am not ready for his story to end here. I am asking for help because I have reached a point where love alone is not enough to cover the cost of the care Bender may need. His initial emergency visit cost approximately $2,000, and his ongoing treatment could bring additional expenses that I am not financially prepared to handle. I have been trying to navigate his diagnosis, understand his options, and figure out how to afford the care he needs, all while worrying about his health. I want to make the best decisions possible for him, but I also have to be realistic about my financial limitations. The possibility of having to make medical decisions based on what I can afford rather than what Bender needs is heartbreaking. I know times are difficult for so many people, and asking for help is not easy for me. I am doing so because I want to give Bender the best chance I can. Every donation will help relieve some of the financial pressure and go toward his veterinary expenses, medications, follow-up care, and any additional treatment he may require. If you are unable to donate, sharing this fundraiser is another meaningful way to help. There is no contribution too small, and I am grateful for every person who takes the time to support us. I cannot promise what the road ahead will look like, but I can promise that I am trying my hardest to find a way forward for him. Thank you for helping me give Bender a fighting chance.
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$7,500To go
