Sydney has a little kitten, Albert Feleinstein (he has a hash tag on Instagram) that keeps her company since she lives all by herself in a city where she really doesn't know anyone. He is a big part of her life and recently she found out that he has a disease called FIP. It is a nasty thing that basically has no cure. She ended up having him at the vet several times and had to draw fluids out of his abdomen twice and the prognosis was not good.
Trying to help her over the phone and being so far away was too much for me and I booked a flight. I had to schedule it for 2 weeks out due to cost, but also because we had to get moved. We moved on the 8th and I flew out on the 19th - a week and a half later. Talk about leaving a mess behind me! But it was well worth it and I'd do it again tomorrow if needed.
FIP stands for Feline Infectious Peritonitis. According to the ASPCA website:
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease that occurs worldwide in wild and domestic cats. It is caused by a type of virus called a coronavirus, which tends to attack the cells of the intestinal wall.
With the "wet" form of FIP most vets recommend euthanasia and as sick as he was when he went in, that was the suggestion. Thankfully, however, getting the fluids out and some antibiotics in made him feel much better. By the time I arrived he was running around and playing just like a 5 month old kitten should be. He's certainly not out of the woods and still probably won't recover completely really, but it was definitely the correct decision to take the steps to help him and not just jump to the most drastic decision. Although he is contagious to other cats, he doesn't live with any others nor does he go outside to be in contact with any others. More than likely he'll have a shorter life than would be hoped for, however the time he has will be full and loved.
FIP is very uncommon, however, in places like Florida and throughout the South where the weather stays warm all year there are less chances for viruses to die off in the colder months like in other parts of the country. There are also a huge number of cats left outside on their own who become strays and are left without immunizations. Many cats that contract FIP end up just being carriers of the disease which compounds the problem because when females give birth they can transfer the virus to the kittens. It is so frustrating to me that the spay and neuter philosophy is lost on so many people. Especially in cats it seems. I think there are people that think that cats are natural predators so they can make it on their own like a wild animal. That is not only untrue, but completely irresponsible and cruel. Domestic cats have a need for affection as well as protection and care. They need to be fed food, supplied with fresh water, spayed or neutered and immunized. Period. They are pets. Yes, many can catch mice and are very helpful in that regard but that doesn't mean they don't need any care. What really makes me shake my head in confusion is that I've heard people complain about the need to care for our environment then turn around and think that pet responsibility is a separate issue. Interesting.
The best way we can love our pets - cats or dogs - is to take care of them. Feed them properly, give them loving attention and get them spayed or neutered.
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