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Erika Lucivero hasn't added a story.
It is with a heavy heart that I share that on September 21st, my best friend and sidekick of 15 years, my cat Lucky, passed away. Lucky kept me going through the most difficult times, and I did everything I could to do the same for her. We spent a little over a week at the animal hospital hoping to heal a bladder infection that had travelled to her kidneys. $8884 in vet bills later and she passed, leaving behind a very heart broken mama in a whole lot of debt. It's not like me to ask for help, but all pride aside I need your help. It's currently sitting on my visa at 22% interest. Anything you can donate, big or small, is more than I have now and would make a huge impact. In exchange for a minumum $20 donation, you will receive a recording of Lucky's purring and one of her incredibly loud snoring, which amazed everyone who knew her. I would be so grateful and humbled by your generosity, but please know it's entirely your choice whether to help out or not. Thank you <3
Our Story
In the summer of 2000, Lucky wandered into my father's
warehouse. She was so tiny, barely had any hair, and was dirty enough
that they thought she was a black cat. After washing her and
discovering her orange flavour, she was gifted to me. My parents were
in the middle of a messy divorce, my family and foundation collapsing.
I was 14. Scared and lonely, Lucky, my angel, came to save me at one
of the hardest times in my life. Since then, she's been there for me,
my rock, for 15 years.
Fast forward to August of 2015. Lucky is aging and I want to do
right by her. I've always had her on premium dry food. A brand called
Acana- organic, grain free, the highest quality. But it's time to step
it up. So I start her on wet food. Human grade $3 a can Weruva. I lace
it with acidophilus, coconut oil and neem oil. She won't eat the bits
of meat so I'm grinding it in a blender before feeding her. She starts
losing weight and I'm thinking this is awesome! I'm so proud of her.
Next step, I transition her onto raw food. I get a premix powder from
Three Gables Farm in BC, Canada that's got everything your cat
nutritionally needs and mix it with raw, organic, chicken straight
from the butcher. She's loving it, has lots more energy and is still
losing weight. I'm thinking this is going perfectly.
A week into September and she throws up her food. Maybe she ate
too fast? So I make her portions smaller. Then she stops eating. Cats,
especially her, can be so fussy about food. I switch back to canned.
She eats a little, but she's not feeling it. So I give her a couple
days, all the while watching her. Then she pees on the floor and I'm
like fuck. Somethings wrong. Food poisoning? I was so careful! That
day I had a gallbladder attack. They come on in times of high stress-
my body seems to know something is about to go down. I wanted more
than anything to bring her to the vet, but I couldn't and had to wait
for the next day.
On September 10th I woke up ready to bring her in. She was very
loopy and could barely walk. I put my big mama in my purse, got in a
cab and brought her down. The vet didn't have the resources to help
and told me to put her down like it was an option. Back in a cab, this
time to the animal hospital. At the hospital, they began running
tests. She stayed overnight in intensive care with an IV rehydrating
her. Her weight loss was from dehydration, not weight loss from the
food change as I had thought.
Through testing, the doctor finds a bladder infection that's
spread to her kidneys. Great news, right? Totally treatable. It could
have been worse- cancer for one. So we start her on medication and
every day she improves. I'm there every night reading to her, watching
movies, and even doing yoga. She LOVES doing yoga together. I practice
alternative medicine so I have a shamanic healer, a chinese energy
practitioner, and a reiki practitioner working on her. I've studied
chinese energetics as well and every day I'm working on her as much as
I can.
Everything seems to be working and on the 15th I get to bring
her home! Back into my purse she goes. At this point I've spent over
$6,000 but it's all worth it now that she's okay.
At home I'm giving her IV fluids morning and night, medication,
changing her pee pads, and syringe feeding her. Physically, mentally,
emotionally I'm exhausted. But i figure, if parents can do this with
their babies and get the hang of it, I can too. She's taken care of me
for so long and now It's my turn to take care of her. I was honoured
at the opportunity. This is love. I was so happy to have her home. In
the spirit of my Italian heritage I celebrate by making a lasagna and
some fresh fish for her. I was able to cuddle her on my chest and
listen to her purr, something that had been missing at the hospital.
Laying in bed at night I was looking at her, she was looking at me,
and each time I told her, "I love you!" she would meow back
in return! My little cutie. But in the morning, everything changed.
When I woke up she was limp. Could barely hold her head up. As
I syringe fed her she would drool and gurgle. I called the doctor and
he tells me to bring her back in. What a fucking nightmare. After some
tests he finds she's not producing enough urine. They start to give
her diuretics, and it's working, but her lifeless state doesn't
change. I couldn't even visit her for a couple of days. My heart was
broken, it was the most pain I've ever experienced. But on the evening
of the 20th, my legs dragged me into the hospital. She was bundled up
with blankets and hot water bottles inside of an oxygen incubation.
You might think I'm a horrible person 'letting her suffer.' If
it was an irreversible disease where her quality of life would be
compromised, I may have made the decision to put her down. But it was
a freakin bladder infection! When I was born I spent the first few
years of my life in and out of a hospital. I've had a total of 16
operations. I wouldn't be here today if my parents had given up on me,
and I wasn't going to give up on her. I made it through and so would
she. Miracles happen every day. If she was ready to leave she would
go, it's not for me to decide when her life should end. And I know
from experience when you're in that state, on medication, you're so
blissed out that you don't feel anything. Looking back, I don't
remember the physical pain I was in. I had conversations with her
telling her, Lucky, you don't need to stay here for me anymore. If you
want to go you can go. I can take care of myself now. For a long time
Lucky kept me alive. I've had a hard life and there have been many
times that I was ready to give up. But I had her and I knew I had to
take care of her, because if it wasn't me then who? She meant
everything to me. She was unconditional love and that one being I
could depend on when everyone else left. But after years of healing
and self growth, she knew I was strong enough now to take care of
myself
That night I dreamt she passed and in the morning the doctor
called to confirm. He told me they flipped her around to her other
side and she took her last breath. My beautiful angel had returned to
the other side. I had her cremated and my ex boyfriend now living in
California came to Toronto to support me while I picked up her ashes.
With Lucky's passing comes to close the first part of my life. The
past couple years I had been shedding layers, letting go of
everything- my first real job at Shaw Media, my four year
relationship, unsupportive friendships, old perspectives and belief
systems, and now my best friend. Lucky knew her leaving would
instigate the fresh start that I need and am ready for. Unfortunately
a fresh start is hard to do when you are $8884 in debt from veterinary
bills.
So I'm asking for your help, which I hate to do, but all pride
aside I need your help. The debt is currently sitting on my visa at
22% interest. Anything you can donate, big or small, is more than I
have now and would make a huge impact. In exchange for your donation,
you will receive a recording of Lucky's purring and one of her
incredibly loud snoring, which amazed everyone who knew her. I would
be so grateful and humbled by your generosity, but please know it's
entirely your choice whether to help out or not.
Thank you so much,
Erika
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