13/02/2021
Hello all! I have been posting on my personal page about this, and have honestly forgotten to post here with all of the craziness. But I’m going to be better about updating, so here’s what’s up. This update will be long as I have a lot to cover, but subsequent updates should be shorter, so please bear with me. ❤️
Pickles (current 7 month old foster kitten) was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in late January. He has the wet version with neurological symptoms. For those that don’t know, FIP used to be a death sentence. It usually presents as fever that does not respond to antibiotics, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, and the wet version includes thick fluid that builds up in the abdomen and/or chest. Many FIP cats also have ocular and/or neurological symptoms (like loss of vision and ataxia). The symptoms often come on suddenly, and progress quickly.
Researchers have been studying FIP since the 1960s and have only just found a cure as of 2019. It’s official name is GS-441524, but most refer to is as simply GS. The discovery of a cure was fantastic news for the cat community, but there’s a catch. It has not been approved by the FDA yet, meaning it must be bought from overseas and is extremely expensive. The disease progresses very quickly, so cats that are diagnosed do not have time to wait for the FDA to approve it. Pickles is a large cat and his dose is higher than cats that do not have ocular/neurological symptoms, so the cost of his medication is ~$45 per day. Yes PER DAY. And he must have it every day for a minimum of 12 weeks (84 days).
Thankfully, my community has rallied around mister Pickles, and we are currently on day 18/84 of his treatments! I have set up a gofundme for people to donate through, and I am also selling hand-crocheted catnip stuffed “pickles” to raise money as well! So far we have raised $1,011.98!! But we have a long ways to go before we reach our goal of $3600.
If you can, please donate or share so we can give Pickles the shot at life he truly deserves. He is a fun, goofy, curious kitten that just wants to live a happy life like any other cat! The total cost can seem daunting, and I have cried more than a few tears thinking I would never be able to afford it, but I have been amazed by the love and compassion from not only friends and family, but from total strangers who hear Pickles story and feel led to donate to his care. If you are one of those people, I cannot begin to thank you enough.
And if you would like to purchase a catnip stuffed pickle (pictured below) simply comment and I will DM you to order! Pickles are $5 each and $8 shipping anywhere in the US! Thank you all for reading and supporting Pickles in his fierce fight against FIP! 💚
https://gofund.me/dc1a50bd
