Pete was adopted in March 2023 under the shelter name Boots. He was always a sneezy boy so Cheryl called him by her mom's term of endearment for her and her siblings when they were sick, Sneezy Pete, and it stuck. Cheryl has been working with vets since March to determine the cause of his sneezies. This led to his recent diagnosis of a rare infection called FIP that has historically been 100% fatal. However, an effective, expensive, yet experimental treatment has been developed in the past few years that gives Pete a hope of survival. Cheryl has personally connected with several families who cured their cats of FIP using this treatment.

Pete will undergo a three month course of daily injections followed by three months of observation. He will require monthly blood work to ensure the treatment is effective. To complicate things, Pete's FIP symptoms became severe enough that he needed a feeding tube. Pete is now two weeks into treatment and responding very well. He's eating independently again and has had the feeding tube removed, but Cheryl is still paying down the $1,400 cost of the procedure.

The medication is expensive and difficult to source. Other owners of FIP cats have estimated their treatment cost at $5,000 over six months. One 10ml vial, which contains about 1 week of injections, costs about $170. Each vet visit with bloodwork costs about $250. Pete is feisty enough to need gabapentin to calm him down for injections. The pills, which then get made into a tuna-flavored liquid for easier administration, cost $60 for a month's supply. These are the biggest costs of treatment, and further itemization can be provided if anyone would like.

Cheryl and Pete have a long road ahead of them and appreciate any help people can provide.