Charlie’s FIP Treatment

Hi, my name is Hannah. I am a first year masters student in the Clinical Psychology program at Minnesota State University, Mankato with a goal of becoming a geropsychologist. I adopted little Charlie on September 26. I was super excited to have a companion in my first apartment that was completely mine. Charlie was very playful, loved to climb (the humane society named him Squirrel), and explore from the get go. Aside from a minor eye infection, he seemed to be a very happy and healthy kitten. I had brought him in for a routine veterinary appointment both on October 11 and November 5 with no concerns from me or the veterinarian. Then, on November 7 I noticed he was no longer his playful self and stopped eating the food he once loved. Instead, he spent most of his time sleeping. Worried, I called the vet and was told to monitor his condition, as he was not showing any severe symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea. After a week of his continued lethargic mood, I called the vet again and made an appointment for November 23, which was the soonest I could get him in. That day I brought him in expecting a mild, treatable condition. Unfortunately, however, I was told he has Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). This disease is causing him to retain fluid in his abdomen which causes a variety of health problems, and is ultimately fatal. There is however, an experimental treatment that was recommended to me by the vet. Information regarding this treatment can be found at fipwarriors.com . While this treatment is not certain, I know I would regret it if I didn’t do everything in my power to help Charlie. The cost of this treatment varies, however, it is likely that it will cost about $3,000. As a masters student with aspirations to later attend a PhD program, I unfortunately cannot afford this treatment alone. Those that know me know that I am usually very reluctant to ask for help and am typically very independent. While my time with Charlie has been short, I now cannot imagine my life without him and would like to do anything it takes to hopefully cure him of this devastating disease. I greatly appreciate every donation and your time for reading my story. I will post updates regularly.

Cuddling with his favorite nap buddy

The day I adopted him