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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

FIP - is the vet giving us false hope? Trigger warning.

7 replies

DeeDeeTheDragon · 08/09/2021 20:25

We have two four month old kittens who we adopted from a rescue centre. They are brother and sister.

The girl kitten has always been smaller and struggled to put on weight but she was getting bigger and we have been careful to give her extra meals that help with this.

On Monday both kittens were lethargic and not eating. The girl kitten was also restless and stumbling around. Then in the evening she had a seizure on my DS5s bed which was horrible.

We took them both in to the vet and they said it was probably FIP. They spent yesterday and today at the vets having tests, steroids and antibiotics. They came back yesterday evening and are also here tonight so we can give them care over night. We are giving water hourly and encouraging them to eat.

The boy kitten is poorly but doesn't seem too Ill, he is moving around, using his litter tray and eating lots. Girl kitten is really bad. She can barely walk, I'm not convinced she can see and is not responding to much. She is very weak. She had two more seizures yesterday. Frankly I'm astonished the vet hasn't raised pts by now as I really think she has got to this point. DH brought it up at the vets this evening and the they said they would give her more steroids tomorrow and discuss it then. Vet said he has more hope for boy kitten as he is stronger and more active.

We have been reading up on FIP and everything I have read says that neither of them will survive. Obviously we are heartbroken. We don't want to give up hope for boy kitten but I don't see how they are going to make it through. It seems odd to me that the vet is not more pragmatic. On Monday he said 80% of cats don't make it, but everything I have read says it is basically 100% and is just a matter of time.

We have two DC, who adore then and are devastated. We have explained the kittens might not make it through but the vets are trying everything but it seems like we are in limbo.

Has anyone had a similar prognosis from the vets, i.e anything other than that FIP is fatal?

Also, does it sound likely that both kittens would get sick at the same time with this? It seems strange that we have had them for two months and it has come out in both of them now.

Any advice or hand holding gratefully received. I just needed to share really.

OP posts:
Lonecatwithkitten · 08/09/2021 22:09

Remdesivir is showing early signs of carrying a better prognosis for the treatment of FIP, but it is currently off licence treatment and there are clinical trials going on at the moment. It is, however, very expensive.
Without remdesivir the prognosis is very guarded.

DeeDeeTheDragon · 09/09/2021 07:32

I have been reading about this and the vet mentioned it too, but unfortunately we can't afford it.

We stupidly hadn't taken out insurance either.

OP posts:
DeeDeeTheDragon · 09/09/2021 16:50

We had to say goodbye to our girl kitten today. She had another seizure and it was time.

Boy kitten will be coming home again this evening. He is still poorly and has fluid in his chest cavity, but he is still quite strong, eating, pooing etc. so we continue to have hope.

OP posts:
BlaiseAnais · 09/09/2021 17:00

I'm so sorry to hear that.

Hopefully boy cat pulls through. It must be unbearable to lose a kitten so young.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/09/2021 17:36

I’m sorry you lost your little girl like this.

DeeDeeTheDragon · 12/09/2021 19:23

Thank you. It's been a horrible week to say the least.

Our remaining kitten seems to be declining now. He has been home with us all weekend and initially he seemed to be doing well. He was quite active initially but now has got more lethargic. He is still eating, moving ok and is using the litter tray but his breathing is really rapid and shallow and he still has a fever. He has taken to hiding in a box most of the time though If I call him he will come and sit on my lap. He purrs constantly but I don't think it is a happy purr.

I really don't want him to suffer like his sister did. I'm thinking the kinder thing might be to talk to the vet about ending it next week. Though, is it too soon as he doesn't appear to be in pain?

I'm so confused and sad. I can't believe this has all happened in less than a week.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 13/09/2021 20:01

He doesnt sound the happiest cat in the world if he's purring to self soothe. It might be kinder to let him go before it get's really bad and I wouldnt want to do it if it was my cat either.

FIP is an evil disease. You've been dealt a heavy blow.

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