Please help cure Theodore of FIP

Hello, my name is Debra and I would like to thank you for taking the time to read Theodore's story and for your consideration to donate to help save his life! But first let me take a minute to explain how I came to meet little Theo and share his story...

I did not know it then but my world was about to be flipped upside down. My heart was about to become fuller and my bank account emptier. About three weeks ago, I was walking my usual 2 blocks from my job to my car. As I walked through the alleyway cut through, I was surprised to see a tiny, beautiful little kitten sitting alone on the pavement, next to a dumpster. He was surrounded by broken shards of glass and bags of garbage. As I walked closer to him he didn't move or look up at me (not typical stray behavior). He was visibly shivering (temp was in low 30's that day) and looked very thin and dirty. It was only when I was standing directly in front of him that he acknowledged my presence by slowly lifting his head up slowly.

He looked done. Done with living outside. Done with being cold. Done with this hard life he'd been living. I had no idea what to do. I was not prepared for nor was I expecting to be taking a kitten home! But one thing I knew for sure what that I could not leave him there like that, I just couldn't. I figured he could live in my entryway to my one-bedroom apartment and that I would get him checked out by my vet and then find him a good home or rescue to go to. Anywhere was better than being outside in the cold. I have to laugh every time I think back to day one with little Theodore. I was panicked that I made the wrong decision and that I would not be able to find him a good home. Little did I know that was going to be the least of my worries. I was calling shelters (like every single one from eastern Long Island to Brooklyn), rescues, veterinary hospitals, friends, and family inquiring if anywhere had a place for him, to no avail. I finally made a facebook post for his adoption and within 48 hours of its' creation, I had THREE lovely families wanting to adopt him! Woo Hoo! Am I right?

I took him for his first round of shots, bathed him, cut his nails, cleaned his ears, administered preventative medications. I purchased a litter box, food/water bowls, treats, wet/dry food, bed, and some toys. I was so grateful he found a great home and wanted his new family not to have to worry about those initial costs. Life was great, right? I saved this little kitten, got him healthy, and found him the best home. I felt so relieved that soon he would be ready to go and live a happy life, or so I thought...

Less than a week after his first vet visit, he began to develop a cold and wasn't eating very much. I knew if he wasn't healthy, he wouldn't be able to finish his (scheduled) last round of vaccinations (due in a few weeks)and would have to restart the vaccines (meaning spending more money and time with me, instead of going to his forever home). So, I quickly got him back to the vet thinking it was a simple virus or cold. I figured (from experience) a quick 8-10 day antibiotic would do the trick and he would be able to still complete his scheduled vaccinations. Wrong again. At the vet Theodore was examined, blood was taken, fluids were given, blood panels were analyzed and little Theo was diagnosed with FIP (wet form, presenting neurological symptoms). My vet apologized and informed me that this diagnosis was basically a "death sentence" and that she would not be able to offer me any guidance other than to make him comfortable and plan for euthanasia. My heart sank, my mind began to race... this couldn't be his ending, it just couldn't...I went from anxious to devastated, to angry... was what on earth was FIP? My eyes began to fill with tears and I felt so hopeless. My vet looked at me and then said "But there is a medication that is not yet FDA approved but has shown high success rates to cure cats infected with FIP". She went on to explain that I would have to independently find this medication and administer it on my own, if that was the route I wanted to go. She informed me that it was very expensive and completely understandable and the norm to euthanize. She ended with "This disease will progress rather quickly and will be painful for him, so we would need to euthanize as soon as he began to get worse". I left there in tears, feeling very defeated. I went home and began to do research... more like spiraled down the FIP rabbit hole, hard. I read scholarly rated journal articles, training videos on progression of FIP and how to administer subcutaneous injections, and joined the most amazing Facebook group (FIP Rescue). Here is what I know to be true and supported from my research:

"Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease caused by a feline coronavirus that affects wild and domestic cats. Feline coronavirus is very common and usually doesn't cause any serious issues, aside from mild diarrhea. But when the feline coronavirus changes to a specific strain of the coronavirus, FIP can develop. In about 10% of infected cats, the virus will multiply and mutate, resulting in an infection known as feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) that spreads throughout the cat’s body. It can cause an extreme inflammatory reaction in the tissues surrounding the abdomen, kidney, or brain. Although FIP is not believed to be contagious, it is a very serious disease. When a cat gets FIP, it is progressive and almost always fatal" (https://www.webmd.com/pets/cats/cat-fip-feline-infectious-peritonitis). In the last few years a "super expensive" (-Debra Noelle, 2024) injectable drug named Gs441524 was created and has proven to be successful in CURING feline infectious peritonitis (90% success rate).

I decided that no matter what I had to try. He needed me to try. He deserved that chance. As of 12/30/23, I purchased three 5ml vials and administered his first injection (first time I ever gave an injection ever). He needs to be injected 1x/day for 84 days and go into an "observation period" and then he will be deemed cured. He needs to be weighed at the end of each week and I need to adjust the amount of medication he gets based on his weight. For reference, each 5ml vial of medication (or liquid gold as one of my FIP rescues friends calls it) costs $80. His first week of injections he weighed 3.4lbs and was getting 1ml/day (1 vial = 5 days of medication). I just finished administering his 19th shot which is now 1.51ml/day, because he now weighs 4.8lbs! This medication is saving his life and he is THRIVING (I would have taken a different route if he wasn't responding so well, given the insane cost and my 6-figure student loan bill).

If you know me, you know that I would rather struggle than ask anyone for help. But seeing as I am only almost 3 weeks in and a couple grand down, I realized I needed to swallow my pride and humbly ask for some help for him. Or I need to win the lottery... unfortunately, winning the lottery is not looking so great, so here I am :)

If you can, any donation amount will help! Let's start this new year by saving this little cutie and giving him a chance. I am willing, ready, and able to provide any donor with itemized bills from company where I am purchasing the medications, vet bills, and amazon orders (for syringes, needles, wound care, etc.). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this long post and considering donating to save Theodore.

With admiration and love,

Debra & Theodore