“How Much A Pet Means” – Kiwi’s Happy Tail

By Savannah Verdon, Development Manager –

For the small price of a few chunks of ham, Isabel and her husband got Kiwi, then just a kitten. From the moment they lured her in to their loving home 13 years ago, she became like a sister to their 7 children, and now that they were all adults, they could appreciate how lucky they were to have her. She’d not only raised them, but also five other kittens who joined the family, and she watched lovingly over their dog, Lina, who suffered from seizures and hypothyroidism. Everyone’s life was better for having Kiwi in it.

Kiwi had been having frequent urinary tract infections. She struggled to urinate and could only release tiny amounts at a time, if anything. When Isabel took her to the veterinarian, they found three large bladder stones. If the bladder stones continued to grow, they could block her ureters (what transports urine from the kidneys) entirely and make her condition much worse. To make matters more concerning, Kiwi had high levels of calcium in her blood that were likely the cause of the bladder stones, but could also be a sign of cancer. She would need testing to rule out cancer, but just as urgently, she needed surgery to remove the bladder stones.

Isabel’s husband had been diagnosed with leukemia nearly 20 years ago, resulting in a growing pile of medical bills. And managing Lina’s condition was a considerable expense – between regular blood work and frequent changes to her medication, it cost a lot of money to keep her stable. They had never asked for help with Lina’s care. Still, with few options for affording Kiwi’s bladder stone removal surgery, and having spent what they could spare on her diagnosis, antibiotics, pain medication, and prescription food, they felt that now was the time to ask.

She started with a fundraiser for friends and family, people who knew Kiwi personally and knew just what she meant to Isabel’s family. But after the first donation, and then a second, came in, Isabel realized that couldn’t be the only way she asked for help, not if the bladder stones were to be removed as soon as possible.

Right up until the day of Kiwi’s surgery, Isabel was determined to find a way to save Kiwi. The day of Kiwi’s surgery, Isabel found the RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant program and applied while Kiwi was with the veterinarian, about to undergo her procedure.

With an On-Call Angel waiting in the wings to generously fund their grant, Isabel was approved for an Urgent Care grant in a matter of hours while Kiwi was still with the veterinarian.

Before she woke up from the anesthesia, the surgery had been paid for.

Better still, the surgery was a success! All three bladder stones were removed entirely, and with a prescription diet moving forward, they were less likely to return. And best yet: Kiwi did not have cancer. With Isabel and her husband, their seven children, five cats, and Lina in her corner, this senior cat (and true matriarch of the family) would recover like a champion.

“Thank you very much for all your help. Kiwi is doing amazing. She is a fighter. She is very strong. Her surgery site looks almost healed. She is walking around and hanging out with her kitty friends.”

For every pet like Kiwi who plays a special role in their family, the RedRover Relief Urgent Care grant program ensures that nothing – neither illness nor injury – can keep them apart from the people who love them. We’re so grateful for your support and the countless families it keeps whole every year!

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