Our Sweet Nicholas Needs Help
Hi, My name is Laura Doty and I want you to meet our Lil Nicholas, who has been recently diagnosed with Dry Ocular FIP. Little did we know when we found this little guy on Christmas Eve 2021 (hence the name Nicholas), he would come with a disease that most vets deem fatal. We had no idea where he came from – he just showed up in our yard one day; he was about four weeks old. We took him in, and he was the most playful kitten – attached to our Penny (a domestic bobtail). Nicholas and Penny played relentlessly for 4-5 months; then we noticed Nicholas seemed to be having eyesight problems and would not play and stayed close to the food and water dishes, near the stove top under the stove light, which I think helped him see a bit. He still wanted to play BUT would only play near the stove under the light. It broke out hearts to see him not get down on the floor and play.
We took Nicholas to the University of Florida ER Veterinarian Small Animal Hospital, where they scheduled Nicholas with an Ophthalmologist to see what was happening with his eyes. They did many tests on his eyes and did a blood panel. After all was said and done, they diagnosed him with the Dry Ocular FIP. We were devastated! We love him so much and want to help him as much as possible and give him the chance he deserves.
Nicholas still has so much life in him. He’s fighting so hard and so resiliently to stay here with us. Everyone who has ever met him loves his sweet clingy hugs and snuggles. He is the most adorable little guy. He sleeps up around my neck at night and snuggles so close; he is the most lovable, huggable kitten!
My husband and I have been together for 25 years and have worked hard throughout our lives. We have saved many Cats/Kittens and have had them Spayed/Neutered and given Rabies shots. We have done this for years. It was not an issue on two incomes, BUT my husband lost his job, and we have been on my income only for eight years. I want to mention also that seven years ago we went thru a very devasting life-altering turning point; we lost our youngest daughter in a tragic car accident. We struggle every day with her loss. If it were not for GoFundMe back in 2015, we would not have been able to pay for her funeral. We understand what people think when donating to a GoFundMe for pets, BUT we think of our pets as an extension of our family. Our cats have helped us cope with life as our children grew up, moved out, and had their own lives. I was not a high-income holder, my husband was. We do not believe that because you no longer have an income you need to find homes for your pets that you so lovingly took care of for years. We would NEVER EVER do that, we continued to care for all our pets, and we make them our priority. Leaving us to live on the barest amount of money. This is why I’m reaching out – we are proud, and this is very humbling for us to ask for help.
For anyone wanting to know about FIP- feline infectious peritonitis: This is an aggressive and quickly deteriorating disease that takes many forms. Nicholas has the ocular dry form as stated above. The medicine needed, GS441524, is not prescribed or available through normal means of a veterinarian nor is it covered by insurance. Our vet told us of the only treatment option available through a Facebook group, FIP WARRIORS 5.0, who have been changing the fate of so many beautiful cats. It is a minimum 12 week/86-day treatment given by injections daily. Along with the medication, we will also have to supply bloodwork screens every few weeks. This is an extensive yet necessary treatment plan which exceeds our available income. THIS IS HIS ONLY OPTION! So, preparing for something like this was never a thought in our minds, as we have rescued many, that we would encounter such a disease. BUT with the support of your donation, we can make this happen for our sweet Lil Nicholas and allow him the chance to live a normal life and age. He is only seven months old and we want to give him EVERY fighting chance, just like we would our other cats who can see and sense his current state of health. Please consider donating to help us save Nicholas <3. We will need (26) 5ml vials of this medication at the cost of $13.00/ml – approximately $20.00 an injection per day for 86 days, giving us the total of about $1700.00 needed for his treatment plan. We have other expenses as well, for his treatment, including the needles and syringes, and of course the blood work. I’m currently at 866.00 in vet bills with Nicholas at the University of Florida Vet Hospital and desperately need some help.
UF Vet doctors just LOVE Nicholas, and they believe that this treatment will give Nicholas the best chance of survival. UF Vet Hospitals have an amazing staff and doctors that are just as passionate as we are in this fight for FIP.
NO CAT/KITTEN LEFT BEHIND!
Of course, ANY amount will be equally appreciated in helping us reach our goal.
This is Rob and Laura’s (not the Petry’s) only chance of saving Nicholas, it is a critical situation, and we need to act fast and begin treatment as soon as possible.
