FIP Stars

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FIP Stars

Welcome to FIP Stars, FieldHaven’s program to turn unsurvivable into the survivable. 

Help! My kitty has FIP!

Click here to save your cat or kitten’s life

 

I want to…

What Is FIP?

FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) is a terrible disease that typically affects kittens and young adult cats. It has varied symptoms, is notoriously hard to diagnose, and strikes without warning. There is no vaccine and until a short time ago, there was no treatment. It was 100% fatal, but now there is hope: a new treatment with about an 85% cure rate for FIP was discovered by a veterinarian at UC Davis who has been researching the disease for 50 years.

Sadly, the treatment is not readily available and even when it can be obtained, it is very expensive. The treatment itself is very lengthy: 84 days of daily injections or pills, then 84 days of observation and periodic lab tests.

FIP’s Genetic Link

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is caused by a largely common and innocuous enteric coronavirus (like those that cause colds in humans & diarrhea in foals/ poultry). Most cats are infected with this virus at a young age & recover. In a small percentage of cats this virus mutates into FIP. FIP is a fatal disease usually found in kittens, young cats (usually under three) & immunocompromised cats, but it can strike at any age. The good news is FIP finally has a cure! It is not completely known why some cats develop FIP but it has been theorized that stress, vaccines, surgery, trauma, and genetics could be factors in the triggering the mutation. Siblings of FIP positive cats have a higher risk of also having FIP, though the risk is still relatively low. FIP is NOT horizontally contagious: you do not need to separate FIP cats from their siblings or housemates.

Reach out at [email protected]

Our Goal

Since January 2021, FieldHaven has been guiding cat owners and caregivers to treatment options and providing emotional and logistical support. You can read some of our FIP Stars stories below.

With FIP Stars, our goal is to inform veterinarians and cat owners that there IS a cure for FIP. It is not easy and not every cat owner will be able to make the financial and emotional commitment to treat, but we want people to know there is a choice.

FieldHaven has staff and volunteers who are available to assist cat owners with knowledge and emotional support, as well as to help with advice on fundraising.

Meet the FIP Stars
In Memoriam

Information for Veterinarians

FIP Treatment Guide for Veterinary Professionals

FIP Stars: Information for Vets [PDF]

American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) FIP Guidelines

For more information, email [email protected]

Resources & News

Contact us: [email protected]

ZenByCat

FieldHaven Feline Center and FIP Stars are excited to announce a collaboration with ZenByCat. ZenByCat has been on the forefront of raising funding for research and treatment of FIP for a number of years. Now that the treatment, while still challenging to obtain, is becoming more mainstream, we are combining our efforts in hopes of informing more cat owners and veterinarians that there is a treatment available. We also aim to assist parents of FIP cats while going through FIP treatment and continuing FIP research working to end this horrific disease for all cats.