posted 05-17-2003 10:48 PM         

I'm sad your young cat is in such bad shape. I think Oliver is in desperate need of medical care and even with this help you need to prepare yourself for the worst. Judging by the symptoms you described, I doubt there is any non-medical means that you can help him by.

There is no easy answer for you except that to own any pet is a great responsibility and it costs money (sometimes a lot of money). To have any hope of saving Oliver you have to fight for him. Tell your parents they must pay for the vet's help. Plead, bargin, do anything. Speak to your church if you go to one, and ask for their support. Raise the money yourself if you need to with cash jobs like washing cars. At the last if there is no other hope you must contact the SPCA and give them the chance to help Oliver.

All of this is hard, and I know you are young, but hopefully you can make your parents realise how much you love Oliver and how much he needs medical care.

My other worry is that you mention you have other cats. Eventually they will get sick themselves, and you will go through this again. Please find a way to pay for Oliver's medical help so that when their turn comes you will worry about the ill-health rather than the money as well.

posted 05-17-2003 11:01 PM           

As Graypaw mentioned, being a pet owner is a big responsibility so why not just pack Oliver in a carrier and march over take to a vet's office right now and speak with them. Many vets will let you pay back the bill over time and will seldom turn away a sick animal. Have the vet look at him and give you their prognosis before any tests are done. They can sometimes tell you whats wrong without major testing and if testing is required, sometimes they can tell you approximately how much it may cost.