$4,000 vet bill to treat her cat with serious infection left owner stunned– but the vet’s update the following day took her by surprise

The owner said that the cat was doing well, even if her wallet was not thrilled about it.

PUBLISHED 1 DAY AGO

(L) A sick at getting treatment. (R) A woman looking at her phone and smiling. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Predrag Popovski, (R) draganab)

What started as a stressful trip to the vet for a sick cat eventually led to a surprisingly comforting moment for one Florida woman. She shared the story on TikTok on November 2, 2025, explaining that her 5-year-old cat, Kuzco, suddenly became ill with a high fever and needed urgent care. A frightening rush to an emergency veterinary hospital soon became a long stay, a stressful diagnosis, and a $4,000 bill that left her stunned. But the real surprise arrived the day after Kuzco was discharged, when a simple pharmacy message took her completely off guard and shifted the tone of her week.

A pet cat getting treatment at a vet clinic. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | xavierarnau)

As reported by Newsweek on Thursday, November 20, 2025, Ashley Alleman learned that Kuzco had Bartonella, also known as cat scratch fever, after two nights in the hospital. Treatment began quickly, but the $4,000 cost was hard for her to take in. Still, the update sent by the hospital’s pharmacy supervisor, Dan, caught her attention for a different reason. His message about Kuzco’s antibiotic reminded her of a well-known line from "The Emperor’s New Groove," the film featuring a character with the same name as her cat. The film includes the line, “The poison. The poison for Kuzco. The poison chosen especially to kill Kuzco. Kuzco’s poison.”

Young woman worried after looking at bill. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Natalia Voitkevich) — Young woman worried after looking at bill. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Natalia Voitkevich)

Dan simply traded the word “poison” for “antibiotic” and “kill” for “treat,” making the reference unmistakable. Alleman said the reference made her laugh right away, adding, “When I got the text, I immediately shared it with friends because it made me laugh.” She explained that he clearly “got the assignment.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people can get Bartonella henselae from cat scratches or bites, especially when flea dirt gets into the wound. But the seriousness of the infection is exactly what made the humor even more unexpected.

A woman laughing looking at her phone. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Tim Robberts)

When friends encouraged her to post the message online, Alleman agreed, and the story shared on TikTok under the handle @ashleyall94 quickly drew attention. The post, captioned "Kuzco's doing great now... my wallet not so much," instantly went viral, garnering over 3.2 million views. Many internet users also dropped heartwarming messages in the comment section, as well as similar experiences. @kaiteyevans shared, "My cat's name is Owen Wilson and our vet ends everything with 'wow.'" @girl_supersonicboy mentioned, "My eldest cat is named Chai Latte. One day, my vet asked if he gets any food supplements, and I said pumpkin powder. The vet then says, 'Oh, he's a pumpkin spice chai latte!'" @nickgriff1 joked, "That text alone makes spending $4K worth it."

A woman hugging her cat. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Aleksandr Zubkov)

But the pharmacist had no idea until Kuzco returned for a follow-up visit five days later. Alleman said Dan stopped by the exam room to tell her his phone had been “blowing up” because of reactions to the text. “I hadn’t even shared the post with him, so that made me laugh.” Kuzco is now improving with antibiotics, and Alleman says the moment of humor helped ease the stress of the ordeal. Despite the long nights and the heavy bill, she was grateful for the small spark of comic relief that arrived at exactly the right time.