Can you help this cat?

[EristeofInnoruuk]

I don't normally post off-topic links, but a close friend of mine has had a recent emergency, and I'm trying to help in any way I can. She's discovered that her cat, Sage, needs a very expensive surgery in order to survive, and there's no way she'll be able to come up with the finances for it in time on her own. I've set up a page explaining the situation in more detail, and there's a PayPal link there for those of you that may be able to contribute to the cost of Sage's surgery. For those of you that can't contribute (and I understand that completely) perhaps you could take a look at the page and then spread the word? I know that a lot of you are probably members of pet-friendly forums or mailing lists, or have your own websites, and Elena and Sage could really use all of the help they can get...

The 'Help Sage' page is at:

http://www.grim-kitten.com/sage/

Since that's hosted on my site, the main site contains some mature content, but Sage's page is totally separate and is suitable for all ages. Thank you for your time, and I hope you can help out, or at least reserve some hopeful thoughts for Sage (and Elena) in this time of need.

Julia Grim
(Eriste of Innoruuk)
(Ehriane of Firiona Vie)

[EristeofInnoruuk]

I got some very good news from Elena today:

July 28: Thanks to the many kind and generous people that have chosen to help a little black cat that they didn't even know, Sage is now going to be able to have her surgery. When I was finally able to catch up with Elena this evening (I had to take one of my cats to the vet as well, and our schedules just didn't mesh as conveniently as they could have...) she gave me the wonderful news that Sage's PayPal fund had reached $1076.11, so I am taking down the link for contributions. The surgery itself is quoted at $1030, but complications could raise the price by as much as $200, and we're hoping that the auctions (which are still linked on Sage's page) will raise enough money to cover this. If there is money left over after the operation, it will either be used to cover Sage's post-operative care or left in trust at the veterinarian's office for the next person who has an emergency and can't pay their bill.

I will continue to post updates on Sage's page about her health and the progress of her surgery, so that everyone can see what their generosity helped to accomplish. Don't forget to look at the auctions if you can, which are still running, and check the page when you can for the latest news. I think it's remarkable that so many people from so many different places were able to band together and accomplish something like this... it makes me feel a little bit better about the times that I wished I could have helped a friend or loved one but just didn't have the means. The internet may cause problems for some people, and for others it can be a nuisance, but for Sage it has meant the difference between life and death, and I'm sure if she knew what was going on she would be grateful. As for me, it has restored much of my faith in the strangers that sit on the other side of that internet connection, and in humanity in general...

Julia