MEMORIES OF MOCHA

Mocha was our ninth rescue kitten. We never intended to be a mini ‘rescue centre’ when we were presented by the family with our first kitten, Snowy, as a welcome gift when we retired to live in the Philippines three years ago. And it might have stayed like that, with just the three of us, until we began to realise the plight of dozens of ‘Street Cats’ on the busy road outside our new home.

Tiny kittens, born in the local gardens and roadside verges came to an untimely end under the wheels of the passing cars and tricycles. And sometimes their mothers were taken too, trying to protect their babies. So, we began to look out for the little orphans and take them in to give them a chance in life, and before we knew it, we had ten little mouths to feed!

We lost our first rescue kitten at only a few weeks old, and at the time we did not know the cause. One day he was fine, playing happily, and the next he was struggling to breathe, eat or drink.

Then, after a few months, our little disabled Siamese, Sophie, became ill after her spaying operation, and the vet confirmed that she has FIPV (Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus), a fatal and, so far, incurable viral infection that would surely take her in the coming months.

One by one, our other cats began to show the same symptoms, and earlier this week we lost Mocha, our second Siamese, to the horrible virus. That hit us hard, particularly my wife, Emerita, whom Mocha had adopted as his ‘mum’, following her everywhere and taking every opportunity to jump into her lap and ask for attention!

Then the crushing news from our vets, Jhoanna and her husband CJ, that they ALL had FIPV!

But with that news came hope. A new treatment has just become available in the Philippines called 'Basmi-FIP' which, although experimental and not yet FDA approved, is showing great results in trials with recorded cure rates of 90+%.

BUT, as always with these cutting-edge break-throughs, it comes at a price. To treat all eight remaining cats and kittens, even at the special rates offered by the manufacturer, will cost an estimated 300,000 Pesos (around 5,454 US Dollars or 4,343 UK Pounds) including the medication and veterinary costs.

There is no way we can afford this on my monthly pension, and so we are asking for your support to save the remaining eight little bundles of joy and happiness. My sister in the UK has kicked things off with an offer to pay the costs of one of them. Help us avoid the agony of having to choose which of them will have a chance at life and which will surely die.

Please, do what you can to help us help them.

Thank you.