I adopted Barry at 4 months old to be a little brother for my other boy cat Cody.  It was clear Cody needed someone to be his friend when I had gone back to work full time after I had covid.  Barry and Cody became quick friends and really bonded!
It was soon after my father passed away that I noticed that Barry was looking ill.  He was weak, low energy, barely eating.  His eyes had been clouding over, and he was looking really low weight for being a growing kitten.
I wanted to take him to the vet but i had to wait until after for my dads burial (on my birthday).
I had scheduled a visit with my regular Vetrinary clinic but they couldn’t see him for another extra week.  Barry was looking rough and had begun to have rapid breathing.  I knew I couldn’t wait another week, so I brought him to an emergency clinic.  This is when they told me Barry had FIP.  I had never heard of FIP and I was stunned when the vet said I should take Barry home and spend my last moments with him.  I asked if there was a cure and he said there is this really expensive drug and a Facebook group call FIP Warriors, but it will probably be about $10,000 to save Barry.  While I was waiting for the vet to finish up checking on Barry, I began looking into costs of this drug called GS.  I saw prices that weren’t terrible and figured that the 10k price tag was a bit of an exaggeration, but I needed more information.   As soon as I got home I joined the FIP Warriors front page group and began asking for help.  Things started moving quickly at this point.  I began taking to about a dozen people, getting as much information I could!  I also reached to Barry’s foster mom who I had adopted him from. That first night, I was awake all night researching FIP, looking up drug prices, and checking on Barry’s condition. It was a whirlwind of information mixed with dread.  Thoughts running thru my head.  “Can I do this?”  “Can I just let Barry pass away?”  “How will I afford it?”  “Will this drug make any difference?” “How can I watch my kitty pass away when I know there is a drug that could save him?”  I knew I had to do it.  I couldn’t loose my father and my little boy in the same week!

The next day my friend who was Barry’s foster mom drove up an hour with two vials of GS she happened to have for emergency.  She showed me how to administer the shot and how to help control Barry as I do it.  It was so foreign to me how to do any of this type of care, but I needed to learn!

After 3 injections I could see Barry was already improving!  He was back to eating and drinking! He was moving around better and was able to jump up on the counters again.   This drug was a miracle!  For his injections he was a real trooper!  He didn’t mind the shot and was always really excited about the food and treats he would get.  He quickly picked up on the routine and began sitting on the counter where I would do his shots at the regular time.  I think I got lucky with Barry.  He was so easy going and manageable for me to be doing this alone.  

Even though the GS was working I was worried. I had enough for 3 doses and I hoped my shipment would arrive in time. Catastrophe struck when a huge winter storm hit the southwest.  Unfortunately that caused all shipments to be backed up.  I was panicking on when the medication might arrive and I got back on Facebook to find others that might have a supply of GS somewhere in the state.  I was linked up with a lady in Denver who said she has 2 vials available.  It was weird meeting in a parking lot of a PF Chang’s with cash in my hand to do a drug deal with a cat mom.  But hey, it’s what you gotta do.  I just needed to get this delayed shipment before I could feel like we were going to be okay.  This was the most stressful time.  The shipment took over 2 weeks to arrive and during this delay I had been contacting others to get every emergency stash of GS I could.  I met several other cat parents who were fighting FIP and I learned so much from them!

During this time I was also promoting Barry’s GoFundMe wherever I could.  I posted on Facebook, Instagram, and also on TikTok.  I made a little TikTok video of Barry being cute and added sad music and then BAM! It got picked up and hit 16k views!   I had thousands of dollars in donations come from TikTok viewers!  It was amazing!   I am forever grateful for their support!  

Eventually Barry’s GS shipment arrived, and he was really improving.  By week 3 he was running and jumping against. By week 6 he had gained a lot more weight and seemed like a normal cat. Every day was an improvement.  Not all days were perfect but keeping my eye on the goal was where I focused.  I wouldn’t let anything or anybody make me miss a dose. Since Barry’s dose was at 7pm, I ended up cutting out all my social time to be there for Barry.  

In the final month of Barry’s injections we unfortunately had to move.  My landlord was selling the house I had been renting for ten years. I had already dropped thousands of my own money on Barry, and my mother was feeling lonely without dad around.  It made sense to move myself and the boys Barry and Cody to her house.  This was a difficult undertaking but it has worked out for the best so far.  During this time, this is when Barry decided he didn’t want his shots anymore. I think he knew he was “good” and didn’t need them anymore.  But I kept at it and chased him around the house to make sure he got his doses.  The countdown to his final week was upon us when I took him to the local vet in my new town and told him my story.  He was so impressed with my dedication and determination to help Barry.   When he looked him over and got his bloodwork, he was happy to say Barry was good to start observation!  Barry was his first FIP/GS-treated patient.  

It was a long expensive, difficult road.  But I can say it was worth it.  I love my Barry, he is family and it’s only money. I have sacrificed so much, so I know I made the right decision. I hope we have many playtimes, snuggles, and hugs in our future.  

I would like to thank all those that helped along the way. Barry and I couldn’t have done it without you!
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