I didn’t suspect anything was wrong with my pet because she was behaving normally and is still young. Around mid-January, I found her with almost the entire front of her belly missing a lot of what should have been there. Picture a large patch of fur, scales, feathers, etc. just outright GONE and you can see the bare skin underneath.

NSP is an unusual animal, so she has to see a specialized vet (which is more expensive than your usual vet). According to them, it looks like NSP has been chewing the fur/scales/feathers off. Vet thinks it might be due to stress or an underlying infection, but animals like NSP are very good at hiding their symptoms so we won’t know the underlying cause for sure until we get the results of her bloodwork.

The emergency visit and diagnostics (tests), were unexpected expenses, and I’m looking at pretty costly medication (and/or surgery) depending on what the bloodwork results are. Normally I’m pretty good about putting aside money for necessary things versus “for fun” stuff—but this situation is a sudden and hefty expense I don’t think I could have reasonably budgeted for.

For a bit of background on me and my history of pet ownership… I didn’t think I’d ever want to have a pet since I don’t really see myself as an animal person. Then, a few years ago, I unexpectedly inherited NSP through a family friend who was no longer able to care for her. Rehoming was a difficult process for NSP, as she had imprinted on her previous owner and had to get used to a new person, new environment, and more. I got the sense that she was very frightened and confused, as she’d move away from me every time I got near or opened her container for cleaning or food/water refill.

Admittedly, I was initially awkward around NSP since I didn’t know how to interact with her outside of the necessary feeding, cleaning, providing toys, etc. I did my due diligence and researched how to care for an animal like her and did my best to make her feel welcomed, but I didn’t exactly cozy up to her. It was actually NSP who cozies up to me, not the other way around. She greeted me every time I came home. She licked my face and snuggled against me while I was seated at my laptop typing. She kept me company through all the most dramatic Twst updates. She was with me through multiple health scares and complicated irl situations. She decided to love and to trust me. In a time when people are more lonely and anxious than ever, NSP was a constant source of joy and comfort.