Aspen is a young male cat that started having difficulty urinating, which is a common sign attributed to Feline Interstitial Cystitis (FIC).  Many of the feline grant recipients that SAGE Compassion for Animals (SAGEC4A) has helped with suffer from this condition.  For more information on this condition, you can read a blog by Dr. Vanessa Wensing on steps you can take if your cat is showing signs of the condition.  Sometimes, cats can be managed with diet alone, but some, like Aspen, become “blocked” and cannot urinate at all.  Aspen needed to have a urinary catheter placed to remove the blockage but also needed to be hospitalized so that with fluids given intravenously while a catheter remained, the urine could be flushed free of the crystals that lead to the blockage.  Aspen’s mom had used her funds to have the blockage removed, but needed assistance to pay for further hospitalization.  SAGEC4A was able to provide a grant, and SAGE Veterinary Centers Campbell was able to provide the necessary 24-hour veterinary care at a discount.