THE STORY OF OTIS THE ALIEN, AN FIP WARRIOR
Otis as a kitten
by Leslie Cobb, Otis’s “Mom”
Otis is a purebred flame point Selkirk Rex kitten born June 13, 2021. The breed is known for its large size, plush curly fur and brittle whiskers. He was purchased from a breeder on 10/8/21 when he was about 4 months old. His then-owner noticed that he seemed lethargic upon arrival, and just 6 days later he was diagnosed with FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis).
FIP was for many years a 100% fatal cat disease, caused by a feline coronavirus (not infectious to humans). In most cats that virus causes mild or no symptoms, but in a small minority of cats, it infects the white blood cells and causes the immune system to go into overdrive, resulting in FIP. Upon diagnosis, which is done based on clinical signs and elimination of other causes, vets had no option other than to suggest euthanasia.
Dr. Niels Pedersen at University of California at Davis spent his career focused on FIP research. He initially tried to find a working vaccine against the disease with no luck. He then decided to explore antiviral treatment instead, and he eventually succeeded in discovering a drug, GS-441524, that is amazingly effective. The only problem is that the drug cannot be legally obtained by vets or pet parents. It is very similar to a COVID drug, and the pharmaceutical company is not willing, at least for now, to license it for use in cats.
Thanks to Facebook groups such as FIP Global CATS and FIP Warriors 5.0 that help pet owners obtain the drug and guides them through the treatment process, cats are surviving this disease! Unfortunately, the high cost of the drug keeps it out of reach of many people whose cats need it to survive.
The treatment is available in injectable or pill form, but the recommendation is to begin with injections for at least the first month, and longer if the cat has gastrointestinal issues that might impact absorption of oral medications. The injections are quite painful for the cat, and the treatment lasts 12 weeks followed by an additional 12 weeks of post-treatment observation to watch for signs of relapse. Monthly vet exams and blood work are needed throughout the 24 week period. Cats who are still thriving at the end of that time are considered cured. It’s possible some cats may be cured earlier in the process, but since there is no test for FIP, the advice is to continue treatment for the full period.
Upon the FIP diagnosis, Otis’ owner contacted the FIP Warriors group and obtained several vials of the drug. She began his treatment, but after a week felt unable to continue. She took him to the vet for euthanasia, but the vet convinced her to sign ownership over instead so he could continue treatment with a new owner.
The vet contacted several clients, one of whom had successfully treated her own FIP cat. That client was not in a position to take Otis but she agreed to sponsor his treatment and pay for the drug. The vet also contacted me to ask if the shelter where I volunteer had ever treated a cat with FIP. They hadn’t, and the way the volunteer shifts were structured would make it impossible for him to get continuity of care at the shelter. I had an appointment with the vet for one of my other cats that day; while there, I met Otis and immediately knew I wanted to try to save him. He was so tiny and helpless, and so adorable. Even though I already had 9 cats and 9 had always been my self-imposed limit, I could not resist him.
I asked the vet if she could take care of him for two weeks while I dealt with a couple of issues with my own cats. Ivy Belle was recovering from cancer surgery and Herman had just been diagnosed with diabetes; I needed time to get a plan in place before taking anything else on. She agreed. During that period, I went to her home and she showed me the routine: weighing him, calculating the dose based on his weight that day, giving a dose of Gabapentin 90 minutes before treatment, applying a lidocaine ointment 20 minutes before treatment, giving the injection itself, and cleaning the skin if any of the liquid leaked. The injection site had to be changed daily to reduce the chance of sores and scar tissue, a common outcome of the treatment.
To make things even more complicated, Otis was also diagnosed with ringworm at that point, so I asked for additional time to set up my guest bathroom as a quarantine zone. I removed all soft surfaces from the room: shower curtain, towels, rug, etc. I moved all my toiletries to my other bathroom and bought disposable pet mats, inexpensive towels that could be thrown away, and a small cat tree that could be wiped down with disinfectant. I also purchased a Tyvek “bunny suit” and found my stash of shoe covers so I could protect myself from getting ringworm or passing it on to my other cats.
The vet had a previously scheduled vacation during that time frame and her petsitter was not comfortable giving the injections on her own, so I went there each day and got a chance to practice giving them before he became my responsibility. It was challenging to do something to him that was clearly very painful, but I reminded myself it was temporary and it might save his life.
He finally came home to me on 11/12/21. He was just under 7 lbs. and had received treatment long enough that most of his FIP symptoms were gone by then. I was given a notebook in which to detail his treatment, symptoms, weight, food intake, litter box use, etc. on a daily basis. The ringworm treatment was even more of an issue for me than the FIP: he got daily oral antifungal meds, daily topical antifungal meds, and lime sulfur dips three times a week that left my entire house smelling like rotten eggs. But he was just a joy to be around. I hadn’t had an active kitten in years, so it was fun to sit in the room and play with him. When the weather was nice, I took him out to the catio, locking the other cats in the house to avoid contact.
I finally got the all-clear to switch him to pills less than two weeks after I got him. That was a huge relief! He was happy to eat his pills covered in a bacon-flavored pill wrap, and I was happy not to be giving painful injections any more. Even better was when he was deemed ringworm-free on 12/17/21 and could come out of quarantine to meet his new feline siblings. He was so happy to explore the house and play with Delilah and Rooney!
His FIP treatment was complete on 1/7/22, and his blood work looked good so I scheduled his neuter appointment. I continued to weigh him weekly and log his weight. Every 30 days he had blood work again and it continued to look good. As of 4/1/22, Otis was considered cured!
During this period, I took photos and posted them on Facebook. The reaction to his funny face was so positive that I created a page just for him: Otis the Alien. One commenter mentioned that his fur looked like mashed potatoes; that description was hilarious and yet so accurate! So the description on his page notes that he is from an intergalactic race of sentient mashed potatoes. I still get people commenting that he looks like taxidermy. He tends to have just two facial expressions: surprised or disgruntled. His surprised face makes him look as though there isn’t a single thought in his head, so I understand the taxidermy comments.
He just had his second birthday on 6/13/23 and he now weighs almost 10 lbs. He is a very active little guy who gets into everything. He stole socks from my petsitter and hid them, only bringing them out weeks later. It’s hard to get much done with him around, but I haven’t laughed this much in years. He sometimes likes to sleep under the covers next to me, and I love his loud purr.
Otis recently began experiencing some eye problems, and vets are concerned that he may be having an FIP relapse, this time of the ocular/neurological type. To be safe, I have restarted his treatment. Because the FIP treatment is relatively new and being given unofficially, there are still a lot of unknowns. Initially it appeared that cats who survived the 12 week treatment period and the subsequent 12 week observation period without relapsing were completely cured. But as time goes by, a few of those supposedly cured cats are relapsing and require a second round of treatment. Such relapses are rare, and Otis is expected to make a full recovery with treatment.
Even though there is now a treatment for FIP, the need for research isn’t over! There may be other drugs that are equally effective yet less expensive or more readily available, or a combination of drugs that would fight the virus more quickly. There’s also a need for a definitive test so cats can start treatment sooner and maybe stop treatment earlier. You can join the fight against this disease by donating toward ongoing research. There are several organizations raising funds for that purpose. ZenByCat (zenbycat.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, allows people to donate toward further research, or directly to pet owners currently treating their cats to help them afford the expensive drug. Recurring monthly donations are especially helpful. Another place to donate is SOCK FIP (sockfip.org), run by a group of people who have had personal experiences with the disease. Donations to this site go toward the Center for Companion Animal Health at University of California, Davis. New clinical trials began last year to expand on Dr. Pedersen’s research to further improve FIP treatment.
If your cat is ever diagnosed with FIP, don’t despair! Some vets are not aware of the treatment, or don’t believe it works, or are reluctant to mention it since it’s not yet legal in the U.S. (although it is legal in some other countries), so your best bet is to visit one of the Facebook groups where someone will contact you quickly and help you get started.
—Leslie Cobb, Otis’s “Mom”
