Cora

Around 5:13am on Sunday, April 12, 2026, Cora peacefully went to sleep after her health had quickly declined. She was surrounded by the love of her mama, Julia Escobar; Uncle “Tato,” Ricardo Escobar; and grandma, Eva Ramos at the Austin Emergency Veterinary & Specialty (AVES) ER in north Austin.

With the help of her mama, medicine, vets, vet techs, and a supportive village, Cora had been fighting a chronic illness called IMHA — immune-mediated hemolytic anemia — for nearly 4 years. Although she was a perfectly healthy 5.5-month-old kitten when she was adopted from the Champaign County Humane Society in September 2021, her health issues manifested in August 2022. The University of Illinois Vet Teaching Hospital in Urbana, IL and AVES in Austin, TX were central to her health journey. She maintained a high quality of life all those years through relapses of her anemia — enjoying being Julia’s constant companion, playing, and being her smart, silly self. Eventually, her anemia became refractory, meaning it was no longer responsive to medical treatment.

From 2024–2026, she worked closely with internal medicine vet, Dr. Eleanor Brown, who played an integral role in keeping Cora alive beyond her predicted prognosis. She spent hours discussing medical plans with Julia, and cared for Cora deeply. We remain incredibly grateful for Dr. Brown. We also remain grateful for all family and friends who helped medicate and care for Cora at various instances throughout her life.

Cora was a truly one-of-a-kind little kitty. Everyone who met her liked her, and everyone who knew her loved her deeply. Although she was unmistakably bonded to Julia and Julia only, she loved her family and friends in Texas and her circle of aunties/friends in Illinois. Cora was an introvert who liked attention at key times. When she scratched her scratch pad asking for a treat, she’d hold an unyielding stare at whomever was nearby, and repeat the process if she didn’t get treats fast enough. Her soft fur, her comedic timing, her obvious intelligence, her direct asks for playing with the fish toy, and her constant presence will be dearly missed, as they already are.

Her beauty goes without saying, but it is worth highlighting. Cora’s strikingly beautiful calico colors and tabby pattern drew compliments wherever she went. Her sparkly yellow-green eyes were a window to her pure, sweet soul. Her grandpa, Sergio Escobar, would say about her: “every time I see her, I notice a new detail.” Julia misses every detail about Cora.

Cora particularly loved her fishy wand toys (especially her favorite one), the crunchy sound and texture of plastic wrap, licking cheese-flavored chips like Doritos and Cheetos, Churu and Delectable tubes, eating bits of scrambled eggs from her mom’s fingers, and her favorite treats of all: Friskies Lobster Mac & Cheese dry treats. She also enjoyed watching her tortoise cousin Peanut, and playfully hissing at her Uncle Tato. Perhaps her happiest hobby was listening to Julia play flute and piccolo. The higher the notes, the more enjoyable it was for Cora. This lead to happy little meows that were exclusively reserved for flute-listening. Although Cora did not meow often, when she did, she meant it.

Cora was also a professional traveler. She felt safe in her backpack carrier with Julia wherever they went, be it road trips between Austin and Urbana, flights, or short car rides.

Words cannot aptly describe the bond between Cora and Julia. Cora was practically Julia’s familiar. Julia jokingly referred to them as being Bluetooth-connected; they were codependent. Cora followed Julia from room to room with a charming sense of duty and curiosity. She slept next to Julia’s left shoulder almost every night. She loved Julia’s new apartment, which was nicknamed “Cora’s Condo.” Over the months and years of caretaking, Julia was able to consistently sense when Cora was doing even a little better or a little worse. It was an honor of a lifetime to be Cora’s advocate.

To honor Cora’s memory, please cherish your pets as much as you can. Fight for the health and happiness of who you love. Remember Cora’s resilience, her bond with Julia, her love of doing scratchy, and everything that made her the best kitty in the world.