🐾 Caturday Chronicles: Tiger’s Quiet Bravery and the Saving Kind Act of a Vet

This week, our household held its breath.

Tiger—Fawn’s longtime feline companion, guardian, and self-appointed service animal—had stopped eating. No peeing. No pooping. No tolerance for being touched, let alone placed in a carrier. But still, he stood. Still, he watched over Fawn with his signature blend of reduced ferocity and unwavering command. Still, he took his daily rest break on the catio, as if to say, “I’m not done yet.”

We kept vigil. The carrier sat open on the floor like a silent invitation. We wondered: would he weaken enough for us to lift him? Would he let us help?

He didn’t. Not until Friday morning.

As I administered Fawn’s IV antibiotics, Tiger looked at me. Then, in a gesture so deliberate it felt sacred, he walked over to the carrier, stepped inside, and sat down. No drama. No resistance. Just readiness.

He knew.

We closed the door and drove an hour to the regional animal ER and diagnostic center—an expensive place, yes, but the only one equipped to handle emergencies outside our local vet’s narrow morning window. A few thousand dollars later (no typo), we had answers: Tiger was full of toxins and stones. His urethra and bladder were blocked, and his kidney values were dangerously high. Surgery was the only path forward.

Estimated cost: $10–15K.

Thank goodness for Care Credit. They approved a limit increase. We could do it. But the weight of that debt was staggering. Euthanasia was gently suggested. But for us, it was out of the question. Tiger has been Fawn’s lifeline for 14 years. He’s not just a cat—he’s her anchor, her protector, her co-regulator.

Then came Caturday morning. And with it, a miracle.

The vet at the regional hospital offered to help us find a more affordable surgical option. She called around. She landed on our own vet center. Yes, they could do the surgery. Yes, they would do it for $3–4K. I didn’t even need the credit bump after all—but it’s good to have breathing room.

So this Monday, I’ll pick up Tiger and bring him home—to the vet center he knows, to the team who will operate, to the community that has held him in prayer and hope.

We are so grateful. To the vet who made the call. To the systems that flexed. To Tiger, who knew when to ask for help.

This Caturday, we celebrate unexpected kindness, feline wisdom, and the fierce love that keeps us going.

Read more Caturday posts.

Learn more about cats. See our many Caturday posts.

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Be inspired. See posts by and about Sula, parish cat, and her books.

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