Strange Request

If anyone is reading this, please say a prayer for my mom's cat, Milo.  He started acting weird Thursday, got much sicker Friday, and was rushed by my family to the vet early Saturday morning.  He has a urinary blockage of some type, and it's too early to tell what kind of blockage it is or what his long-term prognosis will be.  It's very likely his treatment will cure him, but the likelihood of this recurring many times in his life is contingent on what type of blockage he has and his own predisposition.  As he's a rescue, we have no idea what other male cats in his bloodline have had happen in this regard.  Treatment starts around $1,200 for urinary blockages, so repeat cases of this will eventually become too costly for my family to afford.

He's currently at one of the best veterinary clinics in our area undergoing treatment and possible surgery, though we've yet at the time of this posting to hear anything on how he's doing.  The vet was optimistic that he'll pull through and be perfectly fine (though on a modified diet the rest of his life) after this.  My parents and youngest brother caught Milo's symptoms in the earliest stages, praise God, so that improves his outlook significantly.  The vet had to warn us all, though, that some cats become very prone to these life-threatening blockages and, as a result, have to be put down.  Milo, most likely, isn't one of these cats, but it's too soon to tell.  He's just shy of 5 years old and has never been sick prior to this; we're hoping that means it's just a freak thing that happened the poor little guy.

We all love this cat like a family member; my brothers and I affectionately call him our baby fur-brother for good reason.  The thought of him possibly having a chronic, painful, and possibly life-threatening condition for the rest of his life has us all in pretty bad mental states.  Most of us are remaining as positive as we can, hoping and praying this is just a one-time thing for Milo and that he'll prove to be as resilient and strong as he's always been throughout his life.

Milo came to us through an animal rescue that found him abandoned in a hot attic with no food or water.  He was reportedly in very bad shape when they found him, but he bounced back quickly and has been healthy and happy since.  Due to his tough start in life, he has some separation anxiety issues along with problems dealing with change.  He handles them well, all things considered--He quickly calms down when my mom or youngest brother are around, though he is quite skittish for a grown cat--but stress can exasperate his urinary condition.  We're all hoping he's so sedated at the vet's for the next few days that he can't get too anxious and worked up until he's well enough to come home to familiar people and surroundings.

So, if you're okay with it, remember a sweet, goofy cat in your thoughts and prayers over the next few days.  We just want him home, healthy, and safe.