Save Gumbo The Great

Our family made an impromptu trip to Atlanta Georgia the week of February 20th 2022. While casually walking and exploring, we stumbled upon Java Cats Cafe. We’re cat lovers and love cat cafes so didn’t think twice about making a quick dash across the street to go inside. Once we arrived and met Hayden, the owner, and found out she was having to close her doors due to an increase in rent and inability to sustain. We learned they were booked for the day to see the cats but she said if we hung around for a bit she would do her best to get us in. We did and my kids and I got to spend time with all the lovely kitties from Atlanta PAWS. Our hearts were quickly stolen by a massive hunk of a chunk 16 pound orange tabby named Gumbo who just so happened to be wearing a furry lions mane hat when we met him. I felt an immediate draw to the big guy but had to remind myself we were half way across the United States and the idea to adopt him was crazy. Well, back at the hotel that night we decided maybe we would at least try. If it was meant to be it would be and if it wasn’t then we’d keep Gumbo only in our memories. I called up Java Cats to see if he’d been adopted yet, was told no, so we downloaded the PAWS application in the hotel business center. I also made a call into Delta Airlines and secured a plane ticket for Gumbo just incase the stars aligned. Luck must have been on our side because PAWS Atlanta agreed to an out of state adoption and Gumbo was ours! We picked up Gumbo the following afternoon and headed to the airport in a Lyft with a driver who just happened to be a cat lover himself to embark on the 1392 mile trip home. I guess when it comes to souvenirs go big or go home!

Gumbo flew like a champ coming home and settled right in at our house with all of his new cat brothers and giant dog who thinks he is a cat. He is the most docile loving cat. Everything had been going well until it abruptly wasn’t. Gumbo first began shedding massive amount of hair. We thought at first it was due to a change in climate as Colorado is far from warm and humid. Shortly after the hair loss Gumbo began acting ill, developed a cold and wasn’t acting his usual self. He was lethargic, was no longer talking like he always did and soon began refusing food. Everyone who has ever met Gumbo knows he lives to eat. The cat has never met a food he won’t consume. This was completely out of character and we knew something was wrong. We spent several days attempting to nurse him back to health and were syringe feeding him. We noticed his body composition was rapidly changing and he was no longer the the big chunk that we’d fallen in love with weeks prior. He had lost the majority of his muscle mass within 2 weeks and went from 16.4lbs to just 11lbs. A trip to the vet was in order. Blood work, urinalysis, radiographs, and extensive testing was done. Gumbos belly looked like a giant water balloon despite losing so much weight and muscle. We have had to remove several hundred units of fluid from his abdomen and we have him on antibiotics and sub-q fluids at home. Our worst fears were quickly confirmed with a diagnosis of wet FIP. For those not aware, this is a fatal diagnosis. This diagnosis means death, or at least it used to. With Gumbos rapid deterioration we were faced with what steps to take moving forward. To prevent unnecessary suffering, humane euthanasia seemed our only option. This was until we decided to explore any and every alternative treatment with the help of our veterinarian. Hours were spent researching and grasping at any straw we could find. Our hunt eventually led us to a treatment for FIP. The illness that has always been untreatable now appeared to have a treatment option and not only did it have a treatment option, but its success rate is 95%. With more in depth research we discovered this treatment option is widely used in Australia but not available in the states. We scoured and dug deeper. We refused to throw in the towel and say there was nothing we could do especially after we found there was something we COULD do it was just a matter of figuring out how to make it happen. Eventually connections were made and with the help of many people along the way we found a way to acquire the medication needed to treat Gumbo’s FIP.

FIP does not have to be a death sentence. We can save Gumbo and many others cats who develop FIP with the use of GS-441524. GS is short for GS-441524, a small molecule nucleotide analog. It showed a specific effect on FIP by Pedersen NC of UC Davis (Global Veterinary No.1) and his scientific research theme of feline infectious peritonitis. It is a reverse transcriptase inhibitor that can inhibit the replication of the feline abdominal virus (FIP). It is a prerequisite molecule for synthesizing nucleotide triphosphate with pharmacological activity.

In the synthesis of FIPV virus RNA, GS-441524 phosphorylated into active NTP through a series of cellular kinases. It competes to participate in the transcription of cat coronavirus RNA, thereby inhibiting virus proliferation in the body.

Gumbo had his first GS injection tonight. The whole treatment lasts for 84 days then there is an 84 day monitoring period. We have a long road ahead of us but are optimistic Gumbo has the ability to live the long life he deserves. However, this treatment does come at a cost, which is why this crowdfunding is being done. Gumbo touched the hearts of so many while at Java Cats and throughout his journey across the US. The cost of Gumbos injections alone is $2380-$2730. He will need monthly vet monitoring to include office visits, bloodwork, radiographs, and whatever is indicated over the 168 days. Gumbo also has stomatitis and will require several tooth extractions after he completes treatment and observation and is deemed “cured” and healthy. We had a family meeting and decided as a collective whole that we were going to throw everything we could at this to save Gumbo. This also meant delaying our graduating senior's senior trip to be able to provide the daily injections and care that Gumbo needs. We know that Gumbo has a 100% guarantee of death if we do nothing. With this treatment option, he has a 95% chance of survival. To us, the choice is clear. We are going to do all we can to save Gumbo.

Photo credit to @diegothepetphotograper who graciously fostered Gumbo before he went to the cat cafe and came into our lives.