How much would you spend – and how far would you travel – to save your pet?
Seph spent $11,000 he didn’t have on his 12-year-old cat. He and partner even moved eight hours away from his home in Eugene, Oregon, for four weeks, so they could seek cancer treatment for his cat Prince.
“We lived up there for an entire month while we were getting him radiation treatments once a day,” Seph recalls. “And that was the bulk of the expenses. You know, that was $8,000 right there.”
Seph is an online organizer, so he can work from anywhere. And he launched a GoFundMe campaign that covered $3,000. But he didn’t have the rest, so he put it all on his credit cards. By the end of Price’s treatment, which continued when he got back home, Seph was $11,000 in debt.
“I’ve never spent this much on a pet before – and hopefully I never have to again,” Seph says. “But the reality is, when you care about an animal and you feel like you have the means – even if it’s with credit – you’re going to do your best to make it happen.”
Making the call
As Prince, a Russian blue, was recuperating, Seph realized his budget was now deathly ill. He was still in a daze, so he doesn’t remember much of his initial call to Consolidated Credit.
“I don’t remember a whole lot,” he admits. “That was in April 2025. All I remember now are good things.”
And there were quite a few.
“Everybody’s been friendly and knowledgeable, and they get straight to the point,” Seph says. “It’s good to talk with people who know the numbers. They know exactly how to handle things.”
Seph expected to navigate a healthcare-like system to get his interest rate reduced and his payments rolled into one. So he was surprised how easy it’s been.
“I had it all tied into one easy monthly payment within, I don’t know, 4 or 5 days after things got processed. Not long at all,” he says. “You start on a Monday, and it’s most likely going to be getting resolved by Friday.”
Best of all, he says, “Looking at my own credit scores, it’s not negatively impacted me. If anything, it’s helping me.”
A Prince-ly sum
Prince defied the odds and turns 13 years old in March. Seph expects him to stick around for another 6-7 years. He expects his debt to be long gone by then.
“He’s a lucky 1-in-10,000 cat,” Seph says. “It’s been quite a journey. But with Consolidated Credit’s help, it’s been worth it.”
