Struggling with depression and suicide, this kitten brought her back. Then she had to return the favor

A woman was struggling with depression and found herself in a very dark place. When she met Flemith the kitten, she had no idea that they would save each other’s lives.

Meet Flemith!

flemith the kitten
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“An old man got him as a birthday present, but didn't like the kitten :( so he was up to be given away. I drove over an hour to get him,” Alex shared on imgur. “At the time I had just attempted suicide twice and was in a horrifically low spot. This little guy was me trying to not feel alone despite giving up on the world and myself.”

“And then Flemith became the perfect kitten. He was small and sweet and lovely, and he got me through very many dark months while I recovered.”

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“My little guy.”

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“And soon, Flemith grew into a big guy! He was still as loyal to me as he was when he was tiny, follows me everywhere, talks/meows at me constantly.”

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While Alex started to feel better about herself, she had no idea that Flemith was struggling.

“We had no idea he was sick. Flemith had a "normal" temperament--he was almost a year old when his congenital peritoneal pericardial hernia manifested. Apparently this is something that occurs due to either trauma, or is just present at birth (which was Flemith's case.) His intestines were pushing up through his diaphragm and pressing on his lungs and heart.”

“This picture breaks my heart in so many ways. Flemith trusts me very much, and he was not excited about leaving the sanctuary of his house, but he went along to the vet and after xrays confirmed what the diagnosis was, I had a huge breakdown in the vet's office.”

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The surgery would cost over $2,000 and money was needed upfront. Time was of the essence, and the vet told her without the surgery, Flemith had maybe a week to live.

“Then we began the rushed process of finding someone who would do the surgery as well as any way to get help with financing. We called different animal organizations, I put up a gofundme...it was so stressful. That night, I slept (very little) and Flemith came out of hiding to lay with me. We slept restlessly and I just felt that he knew he was going to die soon. I'm not going to lie, in those hours I thought of suicide again. I couldn't lose my only companion. That little kitten had stuck through my roughest moments and I couldn't even take care of him, I felt like a failure.”

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“In the end a very close friend and one of my old high school teachers fronted the money for me. I was so unbelievably grateful, it made me realize that people really do care. They care about animals and about our pets, and they cared about me. We rushed Flemith to the most amazing animal hospital, where they immediately took him (and a $1k down payment) into surgery.”

“I had to work a 12 hour shift that night and was terrified the entire time. I got a call from the vet saying that he had made it through the surgery and I just remember bawling. I called my roommate and when I told him Flemith had made it, he bawled right along with me. “

Alex painted this adorable picture after her agonizingly long shift.

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“After work I drove the hour to the vet and got to see him. I couldn't touch him as he was in an oxygen chamber, but he saw me and crawled over and pressed himself against the glass, it was a terrific feeling.

The next day I went back, where they'd put him in a kennel (observation, resting, fluids, that kind of care) and I just lay on the floor with my head in the cage, cuddling him and talking to him and reassuring him I would be back and he would come home. The vets were all touched (and maybe amused a bit) by my fierce loyalty to my cat; most of the animals there didn't get visitors. So I stayed extra time to pet, talk to, and reassure the other cats and dogs who'd just gone through surgery recovery. I think due to my extreme love of my animal, the vet surgeon knocked off $600 from the bill. He personally came out to the lobby and said he wanted to help as well.

All in all the situation really brought out the best of people.”

Finally home and with a badass scar!

flemith 8
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