Brighten Your Day

Reddit Users From Cat Community Raise Over $8,000 In A Few Hours To Save A Cat's Life

November 22, 2021

Nearly 200 strangers pitched in to help a Florida woman save her cat's life.

u/Rainbowsandbutterfly

Jill was desperate. Her cat Ashton was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis, a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of a virus called the feline coronavirus. It is usually fatal for cats.

She took to a popular Reddit community for cats (r/cats) and asked for help.

"How can I save him? He was recently diagnosed with F.I.P.and I can't afford the life saving treatment he needs. I am desperate. He is my world," she wrote.

"He is my emotional support animal and my everything."

Minutes later, Reddit user scholarlyfox commented that he would pay her vet bill. "Hey if you want to give the vet my number I will happily cover treatment. (Private Message) me," he wrote.

Many others offered to pitch in, too. So, a GoFundMe was launched for Ashton's life-saving treatment.

In less than 4 hours, the goal of $8,000 was surpassed by nearly 200 donors.

Many members of the cat forum were overjoyed with the kindness of strangers.

"Made my faith in humanity bump up a bit!" one user commented.

"Yeah I needed some hope today. This brought me to tears," another wrote.

As for Jill, she is forever grateful.

"We did Reddit, we reached our goal, I will be posting updates on Ashton as he starts his treatments," she wrote in an update. "It’s a long road but because of you all I have hope and I am so eternally grateful to everyone.To everyone who has helped, sent tips, believed in me and been supportive, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is the best community around, I love and appreciate you all. Thank you so much."

Jill also shared the vet diagnosis and bill for proof to assure donors it was not a scam.