Morty’s Happy Tail
September 13th, 2019
At just 18 years old, Logan is already living away from home, working full-time, and taking full responsibility for and care of his best friend, Morty the cat.
Logan adopted Morty from his local humane society in 2017 where the kitty had been the lone survivor of a litter attacked by a dog. When he moved out shortly after high school this year, he took Morty with him because, as Logan’s mom put it, “Morty is Logan’s world, literally his piece of home away from home. ”
As Logan and Morty settled into their new routine, they grew closer, experienced life, and faced challenges together. Late one evening, Logan came home from work to find Morty lying on his side with an open wound. Logan’s roommate had a cat of their own who sometimes bullied Morty – the wound turned out to be a cat bite that had gone unnoticed, and was now leaking pus and blood.
Logan rushed Morty to the emergency veterinarian, concerned only with saving Morty’s life. The wound was infected and worse than it looked; the infection had spread down into his muscle tissue. It would need to be drained, bandaged, and rebandaged for the next 10 days but Logan spent his entire savings on that first visit alone.
Being so young, Logan didn’t know what he was going to do. He applied for CareCredit but was denied for having little to no credit history. He got some help from his aunt at first, but couldn’t ask his family for any more – his mom is a single parent to his younger sister, and she was already working two jobs to make ends meet. With his savings gone and upcoming bills to pay, Logan was afraid he and Morty would soon be homeless.
When Logan applied for a RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant to cover the cost of frequent rebandaging, it was clear to our case managers that he and Morty shared a deep bond:
“My cat Morty is my best friend. He’s my baby. He’s supposed to be with me for a long time. I’ve been on my own since I turned 18, and he’s been there for me. I’m supposed to be there for him, and it’s killing me that I can’t afford to do so.”
Grant in hand and with additional support from friends, Logan was able to make sure Morty got the full treatment and care he needed to heal. Now Logan is taking a full week off from his job to be with Morty throughout his recovery – the most responsible thing his mother has ever seen him do.
Logan tells us:
“I am forever grateful for everybody who’s been here for me when I needed it most. Morty is doing great…he just hates his cone!”
