Help Save Mochi, Kitten with FIP

Hi everyone, meet Mochi!

Mochi is the most lovable, calm, regal kitten I have ever met. He loves spending his time just lounging and relaxing, but at the same time, he is full of life and brings so much joy to my family and me. His mellow attitude makes him so lovable and easygoing. He can be pretty goofy at times and can always put a smile on my face. In March of this year, my 6-month-old kitten, Miso, passed away from a routine procedure and I was extremely devasted... 3 months after, my pet bird, Polly passed away from old age at 7 years old. I thought I would never again have another pet in my life, but then I adopted Mochi. All my children are adults now and have moved out. I have been raising my children as a single mother and Mochi has been my family's youngest child. To me, Mochi is more than just a cat; he is a member of my family and forever will be.

About a week ago, we noticed a drastic change in his behavior; Mochi stopped eating, became very lethargic, and was not acting like his usual self. Like any pet parent, seeing your beloved pet suffering and sick can be very stressful as you worry about their well-being. After seeing him sick, we brought him to the vet to figure out what was wrong with him. After multiple blood tests and x-rays, we found a large mass of fluid in his stomach that was causing him excruciating pain and a very high fever.

Mochi was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). FIP is a fatal and deadly disease. If left untreated, it is usually progressive and almost always fatal. FIP is a viral disease caused by certain strains of the feline coronavirus (YUP covid for cats). In approximately 10 percent or less of cats infected with FeCV, one or more mutations of the virus can alter its biological behavior, resulting in white blood cells becoming infected with a virus and spreading it throughout the cat’s body. When this occurs, the virus is referred to as FIPV. An intense inflammatory reaction to FIPV occurs around vessels in the tissues where these infected cells locate, often in the abdomen, kidney, or brain. It is this interaction between the body’s immune system and the virus that is responsible for the development of FIP.

FIP has long been considered an untreatable disease. It wasn’t until recently that antiviral drugs were introduced to help treat FIP. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved these drugs, and their long-term effectiveness is still unknown. We found a treatment where he needs to receive injections daily that could possibly help with his condition. According to our vet, she has seen 2/3 of cats survive the disease with the non-FDA-approved treatment, which means it is 66.66% effective. At this moment, we will take all the chances we can get to help Mochi.

These injections are very costly, and he needs these injections for 90 days as a treatment plan. The injections cost around $3,600. He may need to continue more medication as it may not work the first round. So far, I have spent almost $2,000 on blood work, x-rays, antibiotics, and appetite-inducing medicines, and he will still need more x-rays and blood tests in the future. I want to save Mochi, but I cannot afford this treatment alone.

We are writing this to raise awareness about this nasty disease and fundraise for his treatment. At this moment, anything counts to help save Mochi's life. We are under a time constraint, and every minute counts. Our family would be forever grateful to anyone to donates to help keep our special boy happy and healthy in our lives. Mochi was always there for us; now it's time for us to be there for him. We will do anything to save Mochi, even if the drug is not FDA-approved yet. If there is a slight chance this medicine will work, we will do it!

Mochi means so much to our lives, and our lives would be missing a piece without him; it's been a tough week. It has been so hard for me to sleep and eat, as it hurts my heart to see my boy in pain. Let's pray that Mochi has the strength and resilience to survive this deadly disease.