Remi’s Relief

In February of 2020 I decided I was going to buy a Siberian kitten from a local breeder. I have wanted a kitten for years and since I was on track to graduate nursing school in May, I decided it was the perfect timing. On May 5th I brought home the sweetest and most lovable little guy which I named Teddy. Teddy meant the world to me and I spent all of quarantine by his side cuddling and playing with him. Not long after I got Teddy, he began showing upper respiratory symptoms. He was coughing, sneezing, and having difficulty breathing. I decided to take him to the vet. Thus began the many vet visits, rebound days, and endless false hope. I took him to a variety of doctors until he was finally presumed to have Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). FIP is a viral disease that is extremely rapid and progressive with a 95% fatality rate. When the vet told me on the phone that it has a 5% mortality rate my heart was shattered in a million pieces. Teddy’s condition worsened and after four rounds of antibiotics, four trips to the emergency vet, and thousands of dollars, I decided his quality of life was gone. His lungs were surrounded by fluid. He had chorea uveitis in his eye. He was experiencing pain and was losing weight rapidly. I took him into the emergency vet on the morning of June 21st and he went into cardiac arrest as the doctors were working on him. Due to COVID-19 guidelines I was not with him when he died, but I was allowed back to hold him one last time after he passed. These memories haunt me and not a day goes by where I do not think of my precious kitten who died at only one pound at four months of age. FIP took him too soon.
After weeks of grieving I agreed to take a replacement kitten. Part of me was scared to love again, but another part of me believed that something so cruel would never happen again. I named this beautiful kitten Remi which means ‘remedy’. He filled a void in my heart, and I have loved every moment with him. He has been eating, playing, and thriving as a kitten should. This past Sunday I came home and immediately knew something had happened to Remi. He did not greet me as he usually does, and he seemed more cuddly than usual with a lack of interest in playing. I waited a couple days and told myself it was just my paranoia from the previous trauma. Yesterday Remi slept the entire day and only woke once to eat and drink. He was unable to climb his cat tower and cried out I pain when I rubbed his stomach. I immediately took him to the emergency vet. They said that Remi has a 105-degree fever, conjunctivitis, and pain in his abdomen of unknown origin. I was told that hospitalization, IV fluids, an x-ray, pain meds, and antibiotics were recommended. After hours at the vet and breaking down during multiple conversations I finally took him home hours later with pain meds and an antibiotic. I am unable to admit him due to the bills being thousands of dollars. It is unknown if Remi has FIP, or if he has a treatable condition. It will not be known until x-rays and further lab work and diagnostic tests are done. I attempted to sign up for credit cards and different payment methods, but I have been denied by each one due to being unemployed. After graduating nursing school in May I have had an extremely difficult time finding a job due to COVID-19 and I have spent all of my savings on Teddy to try and save him. I am out of options. I would do anything to save my sweet Remi and allow him to live the long life that Teddy was robbed of, but unfortunately I cannot.