Daisy's Fip Story

My young nieces came to live with me - they were 6 and 4 at the time. It was a difficult time for all of us and I had the bright idea that a kitten would help! So we got a Blue Russian kitty - she came to us at 12 weeks. She was SO tiny. She was with us for two months when it became apparent she was seriously ill. Within days our Vet was telling me that Daisy had FIP and it was terminal. I was sobbing as I said to the Vet I cannot let her die - my nieces cannot suffer more trauma. Plus we just loved her madly. The Vet said "well, there is this Facebook group trying something new. It's illegal and expensive..." and that was it - my lifeline. I posted our story at Thanksgiving 2020 and Jaime Fipcat responded immediately. She became my lifeline. Within hours, with some instruction from my vet on how to give an injection, and some online videos, a friend helped me give Daisy her first injection. Daisy bit my friend who ended up in emergency. OK. This was not going to be easy. An elderly neighbour offered to help me. She came up every day at 9.15am and for the next 70 or so days, we injected Daisy, who did not want to be injected. We tried so many techniques, settling on a burrito wrap, covering me with a heavy towel, putting a heavy sock over Daisy’s head and my neighbour wore heavy, elbow length oven mitts. At one point we bought some contraption online that we used and adapted and eventually tossed. We also used a lot of foul language. Any semblance of a calm, nurturing atmosphere for the injections vanished somewhere in week one. For the last couple of weeks, Daisy was bigger and stronger and even madder, and we moved to pills. Was it hell? YES! Did it work? YES! Could I have done it without my Admin, Jaime? Absolutely not! She was the calm voice of knowledge and reassurance. I still watch Daisy like a hawk and can be filled with anxiety at a moments notice. But that's my problem! Daisy was cured of FIP. Those bad old days are over two years behind us. I am crying as I write this. I am SO grateful. To Jamie who worked so hard to support us. To my elderly neighbor Em who came up every morning for two months to help inject a cat who really did not want an injection. And to Daisy, for fighting through it all.