In October, Carson was visiting her family near Columbia when they heard a plaintive meowing outside. They went out to their porch and found a tiny, bedraggled kitten, complete with a supermarket sticker stuck on it. Carson took the kitten back to her home in Columbia. Unfortunately, her and her roommate already had cats who did not welcome a new kitten into the home, so she started looking for a good home for him.

A couple of weeks later Belvin was driving through Columbia on his way to a wedding and met the kitten. He graciously offered to take the kitten in and a couple of weeks later, young Frodo moved in with Belvin.

In mid November Belvin started to feel like something was wrong. Frodo ate a decent amount, but he was still skin and bones. He couldn't control his bladder, and he was lethargic and fatigued. Belvin took him to a vet a couple of times and they tested for a variety of diseases but found nothing conclusive. They prescribed dietary supplements and a feline herpes vaccine.

On the night of Wednesday November 19th, Belvin noticed something was really wrong. Frodo was barely moving, and when he did move, he stumbled and swerved. Belvin called his vet, but there was nothing to do that night. The next morning, Frodo had a seizure. Belvin rushed him to the vet, where they diagnosed him with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a common and devestating feline viral infection.

Up until recently, FIP was almost uniformaly fatal within weeks to months. Luckily, recent drug advancements have yielded GS-441524, which cures FIP in 80-90% of cases. GS-441524 was only approved for usage in the United States in May of 2024. Belvin's vet was able to prescribe it, and Frodo began a 12 week course on November 20th.

Unfortunately, Frodo failed to respond to the treatment. He experienced another seizure on November 21st, and passed away in the early morning hours of November 22nd.

Belvin spent $1600 on treatment, and this fundraiser remains up to help him cover those costs. Thank you in advance to anyone willing to donate.