u/BearOfBelAir

I'm 20, l live alone, especially now, and my best friend, my cat Malakai, has been in the ICU for over a week now. He swallowed dental floss. It sawed through his intestines. He's been in the ICU for over a week. He made the first surgery, but now the vets say he needs a second procedure. His intestines aren't healing normally. He's almost stable, but there's a barrier to his treatment l can't get past. l've sold everything l can. Anyway

When l first talked about this online, l saw the absolute worst in people. Strangers called me neglignt, said he was "just a cat." One person took a photo of him from my profile and used AI to make an image of him eating dental floss out of a bowl, the very thing that put him in the hospital, and sent it to me. l felt completely off after that.

But l don't care about any of that. l just want him to make it. l don't know what else to do. l'm sitting here with nothing left to think of.

I keep coming home to an empty apartment. He's the only thing l came home to and l can't even think of anything else but this.

How do you keep going? How do l go with this on my mind.

l wasn't sure this fits here, but l need to hear from people who've been there, because right now I'm not sure how to keep myself together.

My cat Malakai has been in the ICU for weeks now. Sepsis, surgery, complications. l'm 20, live alone, and he's my whole world.

When I posted about him online, l saw the worst of people. Strangers messaged me saying I was negligent, crazy, that he was "just a cat." One person took a photo of him from my profile and used AI to make an image of him eating dental floss out of a bowl, then sent it to me. That's the thing that nearly ended it for him.

Then something totally unexpected happened. Strangers started along about him. l watched a list of names fill up. Someone gave a single amount I never would have expected. Someone gave what you could tell was all they had. A woman wrote "from one cat mom to another." I cried.

Then the platform that held the campaign called me. They said my account was for individuals and they don't do campaigns for individuals anymore. They continued on to say Malakai's situation wasn't important enough to proceed with donations for. They refunded everything to the people and deleted it. The vet had even already started some treatments based on the campaigns progress I had shown them.

I really just don't know how to deal with this at all.

l (21F) live alone. My cat Malakai swallowed dental floss two weeks ago. It perforated his jejunum, caused septic peritonitis, and he’s been in the ICU on IV antibiotics and nutritional support since surgery. He’s still critical, but his numbers are somewhat improving. He lifts his head when l came in. I can barely get the strength to even see him. He would even purr when l scratch him through the cage.

The issue isn’t his will to get over this. It’s that I’ve hit a wall I can’t get past. The hospital needs me to provide something l no longer have before they’ll continue his treatment. They’ve told me if l can’t do it, they’ll discontinue care. Not because he’s too sick. It's because l can’t give them what they need.

l’ve sold things. Drained my savings. Even maxed out other options. There is nothing left. I posted about him and strangers message me telling me it’s my fault for leaving floss out, that l’m not responsible, that l’m crazy for even carrying about a cat this much. Some person took a photo of him from my profile and used it to generate an AI image of him eating dental floss out of a bowl, then sent it to me. Someone else said I should “just give him up,” but that still means treatment stops, only he’ll be gone at the end.

l’ve read every word. I don’t have the energy to argue anymore. Maybe they’re right. Maybe l did something to make this happen. But l’m the only thing standing between him and a policy that will stop the care keeping him alive. If l can’t cross that line, he won’t ever get to out of the hospital again. He won’t ever get to see another day. I really feel like the AH for this.

AITAH for refusing to give up even though l might be the reason he ends?

I talked online about my best friend, my cat Makakai, a couple of times over the last week. He swallowed dental floss, went septic, had emergency surgery, and has been in the ICU fighting for his life. The vets say he's stable now. He's could possibly come home. But l can't give them what they're demanding that they need for his treatment to proceed. They want me to sign him over if l can't do anything and that's the end of it for him if l do that.

Since l started to talk about him in posts, l've gotten people telling me this is my fault. That l was responsible for leaving dental floss where he could get it. That l'm not responsible for not having pet insurance. That l'm crazy for being this emotional over "just a cat." Some person even told me l should give him to the hospital as said he'd be better off gone than with an owner who can't tend to his emergency. l've read every single one. The worst part is, l don't even have the energy to argue anymore.

Im not sure, maybe they're right. Maybe l should have been more careful. Maybe this is all my fault.

Im twenty, l live alone, especially now, and l've let go of everything I can just to get him this far, and it still wasn't enough. I just really don't know how to live with that. I barely had him for a year and he's the only thing l come home to. Now lm the reason he's not gonna make it. I really don't know.

I talked online about my best friend, my cat Makakai, a couple of times over the last week. He swallowed dental floss, went septic, had emergency surgery, and has been in the ICU fighting for his life. The vets say he's stable now. He's could possibly come home. But l can't give them what they're demanding that they need for his treatment to proceed. They want me to sign him over if l can't do anything and that's the end of it for him if l do that.

Since l started to talk about him in posts, l've gotten people telling me this is my fault. That l was responsible for leaving dental floss where he could get it. That l'm not responsible for not having pet insurance. That l'm crazy for being this emotional over "just a cat." Some person even told me l should give him to the hospital as said he'd be better off gone than with an owner who can't tend to his emergency.

l've read every single one. The worst part is, l don't even have the energy to argue anymore. Im not sure, maybe they're right. Maybe l should have been more careful. Maybe this is all my fault. Im twenty, l live alone, especially now, and l've let go of everything I can just to get him this far, and it still wasn't enough. I just really don't know how to live with that. I barely had him for a year and he's the only thing l come home to. Now lm the reason he's not gonna make it. I really don't know.