Thirteen years ago, outside Deming, New Mexico, a gentle orange tabby appeared on Carolyn’s doorstep. “He wasn’t feral, he just seemed lost,” Carolyn recalls. “Like he didn’t know where else to go.” Carolyn, a senior living alone, brought the cat to her local veterinarian to check for a microchip. There wasn’t one, but he was healthy and estimated to be about four years old. In that moment, Carolyn knew they had found each other for a reason. She named him Honey Cat and from then on, the two were inseparable. When Carolyn moved to Las Cruces, Honey Cat came with her and settled comfortably into their new home where they continued their peaceful days together. Recently, Carolyn began noticing changes in Honey Cat. He wasn’t eating as much, and he was losing weight. When she picked him up to cuddle— something he normally loved, he flinched, clearly uncomfortable. Worried, she made an appointment with her veterinarian. The diagnosis was pancreatitis. The recommended lab work, treatment plan, and medication were overwhelming—not just emotionally, but financially also. On a fixed income, Carolyn found herself unsure of how to give Honey Cat the care he needed.