On March 25, 2024, Sydney & her family picked up a white with orange markings Scottish Straight kitten from the ARC at JFK airport. Jasper came from Ukraine and was gifted to them by a breeder who was rehoming kittens due to the dangers of the ongoing war.

Instantly looking at him, They knew the perfect name for him would be Jasper. Jasper was fast and full of so much life. He was sweet and well-liked by our other two cats, who welcomed him into the family with snuggles and licks. Things were going very well, They just celebrated Jasper’s one year birthday in November and were looking forward to having Jasper celebrate his first Christmas.

About two weeks ago, They noticed some things about Jasper, he became distant and felt boney near the spine. Over the past two weeks came, he became very lethargic and stopped drinking and eating regularly. On Dec 16, They noticed swelling in his abdominal area and took him to the vet. They were told that Jasper had a two-week prognosis to live and was suspected of having FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis). The vet took a sample from the fluid and sent it to the lab. This disease is deadly for cats and generally targets kittens who carry a specific gene that is mutated. Dec 16th & 17th, They searched the internet looking for some type of solution or treatment and came across FIP support groups. They knew Jasper was deteriorating quickly and by Dec 17th evening he was urinating himself and going into shock.

They found that there was a drug being used to help treat cats with FIP, but since it was not FDA approved, They would have to administer and purchase this treatment off the market. Many people from these support groups were able to find them the treatment about 50 minutes away from our house, so they went in the middle of the night and were able to successfully administer the first dose of treatment for Jasper.

The treatment is roughly 84 days long and requires them to inject Jasper with 1.6 mL into the back deep enough to hit the subcutaneous tissue. Each vile of medicine holds 6.2 mL. One vile typically last about 6 days. On top of that they must get support from our vet with obtaining a steroid to help with flushing out the fluid in his stomach and supporting his liver. Jasper also needs to be on special food for now as they treat his organs from the fluid buildup, so the food is an additional, unforeseen cost. Jasper will also need to have a blood test at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and on the 84th day to see if he is responding/improving to the treatment.

If all goes well, Jasper could make a full recovery after 84 days on the necessary treatment. After three injections, Jasper has been making slow progress daily but moving around and eating. They are hoping that Jasper will keep responding to the treatment. Please help us save their little baby.