fibrosarcoma in cats...2nd update!

[Catty1]

Fragrancehound...the two links I posted - you have to apply for the funds before treatment starts. Why not contact them now, see if you qualify, and get other contacts from them to help out if they have any.

Your Humane Society might even know of some assistance that is available.

[Craftlady]

Fragrancehound...the two links I posted - you have to apply for the funds before treatment starts. Why not contact them now, see if you qualify, and get other contacts from them to help out if they have any.

Your Humane Society might even know of some assistance that is available.

The imom.org is very specific on who they will except, I'm surprised anyone qualifies. Here's link for "do you qualify" http://imom.org/fa/qualify2.htm
Sad

[fragrancehound]

Sadly with Imom.org I don't qualify because my vet requires a deposit. According to imom's qualifications:

- My veterinarian is not willing to accept payment by check from IMOM after my pet is released and an itemized bill has been sent to IMOM.

- My veterinarian requires a deposit from IMOM.

[Catty1]

What about the other fund?

[Craftlady]

What about the other fund?

They give you a grant of $150 if you qualify(catsincrisis.org)
or
Qualifications for Individual Assistance:
(The Applicant must meet one or more of the following)
(These are not required for humane organizations)
Be a recipient of state Medicaid or Medicare
Be a recipient of public assistance
Be a recipient of disability benefits
Be a recipient of unemployment benefits and
registered with an employment agency
Provide documentation of any other extenuating circumstances that you feel qualifies you for assistance

They let you fund raise on their site.

[fragrancehound]

I looked into catsincrisis.org too but I don't think I qualify for their grant either unless I am reading it incorrectly. According to the web site it says:

Meet one of the following criteria to be considered:
Be diagnosed with or strongly suspected by a vet of having one of the following:
Kidney Disease
Heart Disease
Thyroid Disease

Panther does not suffer from any of those health conditions thankfully.

I also looked at their Qualifications for Individual Assistance and their requirements do not apply to my current financial situation.


On another note I keep looking into Panther's golden eyes and I just melt. I am going to see if I can work something out with the vet clinic. I called the oncologist today but she was off so hopefully Monday I can talk to her. I'm wondering if I can schedule Panther's radiation treatments so they are 3 times a week instead of 5 times a week. If that is acceptable and still beneficial for Panther I might be able to pull this off although it will very very tough for the next 2 months. The more I think about it the more I realize that I would be very upset with myself if I didn't exhaust every possible means to help my baby kick this cancer.

[TopCat3]

I can really "feel" your dilemma and tortured heart through your posts. I cannot add anything to what the others have replied to you, also being in Australia I don't know what is available there and how things work with financing etc.

Have you thought of this, though? - Find out which is the most proactive and advanced-thinking pet/cat oncology research university within reasonable distance and contact them with a view to offering Panther's services as an outpatient for research treatment. Any university research facility worth its salt should welcome with open arms the opportunity to closely study the effects of their own radiotherapy protocols on a cat that is in a loving home environment, if they have the sense to realise that the loving home environment is a crucial factor in the outcome of any treatment process.

The other thing - do you have anything of reasonable value that you can sell?
Say you had a fairly new car - could you trade back to an older model?
Do you have any luxury home appliances you could sell and replace with a more utilitarian basic model - I'm thinking big plasma screen TV back to a small portable model.

Do you have a spare room you could clear out and make function as bed-sitting room you could rent out to a young person or student that would cover the loan repayments?

Here in Australia we have a lot of foreign exchange students, largely from Japan, and you can apply to the authorities to be an accredited PAID accommodation provider for them, providing bed, breakfast and an evening meal. I wonder if you have anything similar there.

Just trying to think laterally for you.

There are many ways of raising money in hurry, and an unsecured bank loan is indeed one of them. Do you have any existing loans you can get a repayment "holiday" on? Here you can be granted relief from making any payments on homeloans etc for a limited period of time for extenuating circumstances. Then you can resume payments later on.

I don't know what else to add.

I do know that with my Sapphire I could feel the tumours regrowing under her skin within 10 days of her operation to remove the tumour. There was no option of radiation, samples had been sent to the cat oncology dept at the uni where my vet lectures, and it was untreatable. So I did not have to face the difficult decision you are facing now.

Under those circumstances I don't know what I would have done, and I would not like to advise you now.

However I would strongly suggest you look at the scenario of being in a difficult financial situation long after Panther has enjoyed his reprieve and eventually passed on to the Rainbow Bridge, if you are on a single income, as I am, and that income is limited, as mine is. You have to do what is right and best for Panther, and you also have to do what is right and best for you.

If you're earning squillions, or have the prospect of doing so, that's great. If not, and you have to grieve the loss of Panther at some stage in the future, if you are also in deep financial hardship, well, that would be very difficult to bear.

I pray you come to a decision and that you and Panther can find help and be spared any more heartache.

With much love
The TopCats

[critters]

I
Meet one of the following criteria to be considered:
Be diagnosed with or strongly suspected by a vet of having one of the following:
Kidney Disease
Heart Disease
Thyroid Disease

These conditions are eligible for special funds, but they accepted a kitten with a bizarre systemic fungal infection recently and put her under "Emergency Funds.".