Call for help: Rescue cat PEPPER’s ongoing FIP battle

This is my Pepper. She’s 51 days old as of this writing. She’s a very sweet and loving kitten who cuddles a lot and like to stay on my lap. I found her and her four littermates outside our gate one rainy afternoon. They were soaked in the pouring rain so without hesitation, I brought them all inside to keep them warm. I realized that they are neonates, probably just a day old, so while attending to their needs, I kept on looking outside and hoping that their mother would come back. Days have passed and unfortunately, no mother cat came. That’s when I decided to keep fostering them and dedicated my time caring for them until the time that they are ready to find their permanent loving homes.

Pepper and her siblings came during the pandemic and in the midst of lockdown. During this time, my mental health is not at its best. I’ve started experiencing anxiety because everything seems to be uncertain and has become too much for me to handle. Pepper and her siblings have become my silver lining. They gave me hope, happiness, and a routine. In a short period of time, they helped me overcome my personal issues. I thought I rescued them, but it turned out that I’m the one being rescued. They have become my therapy, specifically Pepper.

Three weeks ago, Pepper and her mates became sick with diarrhea so I brought everyone to the vet for a check-up. They were given an initial dose of dewormer and a course of antibiotics for a week. They got better, but after two days from their last dose of antibiotics, they experienced yellowish, bulky, and foul-smelling stool again. Pepper’s littermates seem to be healthy overall except for the poor quality of their stool. They are energetic, playful, and have a good appetite. Pepper on the other hand seems to be getting weak. She continued to suffer from diarrhea and I was afraid that she might get dehydrated so I decided to bring her to the vet again where she underwent fecalysis. She’s also supposed to undergo a giardia test but the kit is not available, so the vet ruled out Giardiasis due to her symptoms. She was given another course of medications that include Panacur-C and Polynerv. She got better and her diarrhea stopped. She became energetic and had a good appetite. She played and run a lot so I thought everything is going well. By this time, her littermates’ stool quality has improved a lot. It has become a healthy poop. Probably because of the supplements I gave them as advised by the vet.

Morning of November 8, Sunday, I noticed that Pepper is experiencing diarrhea again. I observed her the whole day and counted 11 bouts of diarrhea. Her stool is not looking good, which is watery, greenish, foul-smelling, and occasional blood. In one day, she lost color and become dehydrated so I rushed her to the vet again. The vet said that her Giardiasis is already cured. So they run another set of tests. She turned out positive for feline coronavirus and panleukopenia. The vet told me that progression is not good because she’s very weak, fragile, and young during that time. It also doesn’t help that she’s the kitten runt. She’s not going to improve even if I leave her for confinement. So I signed a waiver and decided to bring Pepper home. The vet gave me a list of medications and palliative care to make Pepper feel better. I followed everything that the vet told me and took very good care of her at home. I was ready to accept her fate and accepted the fact that I might not see her the next morning. To my surprise, she got stronger and her condition got a lot better. She had a huge appetite. I think she’s trying to help herself. Her stool has become healthy, and she starts playing and running around again. Although I noticed that she started to have a pot-belly. I brought her to the vet again this morning where she was diagnosed with FIP. The vet said that her immune system might be getting stronger so she’s fighting well against the panleukopenia. We are continuing with her treatment for the panluek.

There's a treatment for FIP called GS-441524. It has shown promising results and cured many cats who are suffering terminally with FIP. Each vial cost $120 and is good for at least 25 days, depending on the weight of the cat. The duration of this treatment is 3 months, which might need 4 vials in Pepper's case. It has to be started right away to yield positive results. Waiting might decline Pepper's health until it's too late for treatment. It’s costly and I no longer have enough money to sustain the treatment until the end because I have already spent my savings on my rescue kitten’s vet consultations and medications, which have already been costly. Apart from that, I have other rescue kittens that have medical issues that I also have to attend to. That’s the reason why I decided to ask for a little help for my Pepper.

Please help my Pepper. I can feel that she wants to live, so I want to give her a fighting chance. I admire her spirit and I think she deserves to live. After all, she never experienced how it’s like to have a mother cat. She’s helped me a lot so I want to give everything to help her as well. I’ve also decided to keep her and give her all the love whatever happens.

I will be forever grateful for all the support that I'm going to receive in any form. This means a lot to me. Thank you very much! May God bless us all!