Cranberry's FIP Treatment

If you have been following us for a while or have stopped in to visit recently, you have definitely met our rambunctious little group of kittens: Cranberry, Casserole, Pumpkin, and Cornbread!

These crazy kiddos were moved to a foster home earlier this month when we had to close for a bit, and they have been thriving with their new foster parents! However, on Monday 1/17, their foster mama noticed that Cranberry seemed a little lethargic and was breathing heavily. He is a wild child at heart, so we knew something was very wrong when he wasn't interested in playing with his brothers. We monitored his signs and symptoms throughout the week and got him into the vet as soon as we could.

At his vet visit today 1/21, we thought Cranberry might need a round of antibiotics to clear up a little cold. Instead, we were met with devastating news: Cranberry was diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis, or FIP.

FIP is characterized by lethargy, decreased appetite, weight loss, a fluctuating fever, and fluid accumulation in the chest or abdomen. FIP is most common in young cats and kittens, and thankfully it is not contagious between cats. Without treatment, FIP is always fatal.

Cranberry was lethargic and listless, and his bloodwork showed extremely high and low white blood cell counts as well as a very low red blood cell count. He also had fluid accumulating in his chest that needed to be removed.

Just a few years ago, FIP was seen as a death sentence because there was no treatment available. Thankfully today, there ARE treatments out there that can cure FIP, so we quickly reached out to the right people to get medication as soon as possible. No matter how costly or time-consuming this treatment might be, we have to do everything we can for this sweet boy.

The FIP treatment consists of 84 days of injections, routine blood work to monitor progress, and 3 months of observation after treatment to ensure symptoms do not return. The medication for the injections is extremely costly, and the vet visits on top of the medication have created a heavy financial burden. This morning's vet visit cost over $400 for the initial bloodwork, x-rays, and a chest centesis, and we are estimating Cranberry’s treatment will cost us over $3,000 in total.

If you are interested in helping us with Cranberry's treatment, we would be forever grateful. Whether it is $1 or $100, any donation would be a huge help to pay for medication, follow-up visits, and day-to-day supplies for his foster family. Any funds that might be leftover will be donated to our rescue partner, Waters Cat Rescue.

We appreciate our little community so much and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your support, generosity, and love. Please keep Cranberry in your thoughts and prayers for a full and speedy recovery. His brothers and sister need him, and we know he will pull through this.

If you would like to keep up with Cranberry's story (and the rest of his siblings!), we will be posting regular updates here as well as on our Instagram page, @pouncecatcafe.sav.

Thank you so much again for always being there for us. We love you guys. #teamcranberry

Love,

Pounce Cat Cafe