Mr Zurik’s Breakfast And More About The FIP

Mr Zurik spent all night on the sofa. He didn’t come upstairs.

Last night, he ate at the patio. His favourite food is Monge kibble, so that’s what he got.

On a side note, Zurik has been eating Monge kibble all this while and it was only lately that I started to train him to eat wetfood (he doesn’t quite like it, though). So he has been on kibble and yet his kidney readings are fine. In fact, it is even better than our inside cats. So I do wonder, maybe food isn’t exactly the one determining factor in kidney disease. But we’ll never know. We just do our best based on whatever information we have.

Or maybe Zurik gets his freedom to roam, and maybe that does make a difference? As a friend shared with me, dogs are comfortable with humans and can stay indoors, but cats are, by nature, free-spirited. They like to roam – that is how they should be allowed to live. But yes, tell that to this government, please (I doubt they care). I’ll be fair, MCMC and the no-smoking ban are good and brave, but when it comes to street animals, it’s a government with no heart. Previously, the councils only caught when there were complaints. Now, they catch even without complaints. Or, just because of a few isolated rabies cases?

Back to food, as I’ve shared, my niece maintained her CKD cat for FOUR years purely on the RC renal kibble, but with bowls of water everywhere. She said her cat refused to eat ANY food except the renal kibble. He won’t even touch canned food. So, rather than starve him, she let him eat his favourite food.

To each cat, his/her own, I suppose. We try based on what we know is best, but we also give them some leeway to decide.

“Respect your cat”, as Dr Becker and Dr Pierson say.

This morning, Zurik came into the kitchen with everyone else, but Ginger stopped him. Zurik is too weak to “fight” Ginger now, so I carried Ginger off.

I offered Mr Zurik Cindy’s Tender Chicken and his favourite Monge Kibble. He only ate the kibble, but just a little bit, and he went back to his sofa.

So, it’s his appetite. Previously, I thought he had other food sources and that is why he doesn’t eat much anymore, but no, it’s actually his appetite that has waned.

Ginger ate at the other side of the island.

I gave Zurik a quarter tablet of Vitamin B Complex with the hope of giving him some appetite (I am using the “bread pill”). That’s a bit of AD, but funnily, Mr Zurik does not like AD at all. But it’s the easiest to feed because of its consistency.

I’ll be giving him his steroids and the Vetri DMG a little later.

Trying to get him to eat AD but he doesn’t quite like it.

This article provides a lot of information on FIP in cats:
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/04/22/feline-infectious-peritonitis.aspx

It’s by Dr Karen Becker and she is one vet whom I trust.

According to the article, the prognosis is very poor once symptoms are discovered. For the effusive (wet) form, which is what Zurik has, the cat would only have 1-2 months more to live. No wonder it is the most dreaded and deadly disease in cats.

I think Zurik’s symptoms showed in January when we first noticed the weight loss (which coincided with Buddy’s visits). Now, it’s April. The disease progresses very quickly.

It also explains that the corona virus can remain in the body for “a very long time”, even years, before it mutates into the FIP virus. It affects mostly kittens but geriatric cats can get it too, though it’s rare.

It only afflicts 5-10% of cats with the corona virus. Such a small percentage and yet, Mr Zurik got it. Sigh…

How FIP Develops

Most kitties with feline corona infection are asymptomatic during the initial stages. The immune system responds by producing antiviral antibodies to kill off the infection. But in about five to 10 percent of infected cats, it is believed either a mutation of the corona virus or an abnormality in the immune system response allows the infection to progress to FIP.

In FIP, the antibodies that should provide protection actually help infect white blood cells with the virus. These cells, in turn, spread the infection throughout the cat’s body. This results in a very powerful inflammatory response in tissues where the infected cells locate — frequently in the abdomen, kidneys, or brain.

It’s the interaction of the body’s immune system with the virus that results in disease. It behaves unlike any other viral disease we know of in either animals or people. Sadly, once FIP has involved one or more organs or body systems, the infection is quite progressed and almost always fatal.

As I’ve shared yesterday, there are 4 feline diseases which I hoped I would never have to encounter: Sporotrichosis (Tiger and Zurik had it and recovered), FeLV (Baggy had it and succumbed to it), chronic kidney failure (Vincent had it) and FIP. Rosie had hepatic cholestasis (again, rare) which led to liver failure. Tiger had a 2.5-year long battle with hyperesthesia which manifested as epileptic seizures (also very rare).

A friend shared this morning that perhaps the universe wants me to learn how to handle these diseases and because I share what I do publicly, so perhaps it serves as an educational tool too, but only in the caregiving part because all these diseases have poor prognoses.

Maybe….

Here are her kind and comforting words:

Unexpected that Zurik, a senior cat has FIP.. Perhaps Zurik now has to retire from being the last of your CNRM-cat, it is the way nature intended to be. Zurik deserves to retire in peace..I’m glad he has found his retirement home with you..the best caregiver in the world for him. I know you will give your very best..and by posting about him..readers will learn about FIP. It just crossed my mind when I was reading your post…since you are teacher, an influencer…all the afflictions that befall your cats… Is the way is supposed to be…you learn, apply and teach the world how to care for a cat in the critical hour of need in times of surviving an affliction or for a caregiver to provide comfort for a sick cat.. So you lead by example..people see and learn from you and they learnt..though there are critics but in the end of the day…you are doing the best as you can as a caregiver.. So that it is all that matters and I’m sure the majority will learn from your experience… Your tenacity, dedication and honesty is most appreciated when one is ready to be a student of the world.

Take care of yourself.. I’m so happy that Zurik has found his home. Thank you.

Thank you, dear friend. How I wish everyone would just die a peaceful death of old age. No illness, no pain and no suffering. When it’s time to go, just go in our sleep.

We wish…

“Our last CNRM-cat” – it sounds so final. Is it too much to hope that CNRM-animals can be live in peace in our country now?  Will all animals have to live indoors now?  Does the government want a sterile human-only country? There are many robbers, murderers, rapists, thieves, blue-collar criminals out there…how about catching them instead? Huh? Take on someone your own size. Bullying is cowardly.

Street animals’ “crime” is only to exist. To the heartless politicians: Why are you punishing them with the death penalty for existing?

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2019/04/14/mr-zuriks-breakfast/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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