In September of 2020, Bones was one of several stray kittens taken in as fosters, and we were hesitant to give her a "foster name" because of her condition at that time. As my mom and I bathed the kittens, took them to their first vet visit, and started them on antibiotics & parasite treatments, we held out hope for the littlest, roughest-looking black kitten whose body was ravaged by persistent roundworms, but tried to stay realistic and not get attached. We worried that little kitten might be too far gone to save, and in conversation with each other only referred to her as "the one that might die." Until the day my partner Josh came with me to assist with kitten care tasks while my mom was out of town, and he affectionately called that little kitten "Bones" because that's all she was – skin & bones. When you name a kitten like that and are really rooting for their success, you get attached. In her first year of life with us, Bones fought & conquered 6 months of rigorous deworming, upper respiratory infections, digestive issues, and more. As a kitten that came from a feral cat colony in dire conditions, she had a rough start with the odds stacked against her, but came out on top time & time again. When she hit 6lbs in March 2021, we thought she had conquered it all, but we didn't know that something larger was lurking in the shadows. Bones' growth stagnated by summer but she showed no signs of illness or changes in behavior to note, so we wondered at first if she was simply a tiny cat... At the beginning of August, Bones was diagnosed with wet FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) after a weekend stay at K-State Veterinary Hospital to have fluid removed from around her heart. Her only prominent symptoms had been rapid breathing and a fever, but we were lucky to have taken those symptoms seriously and forever grateful that our primary vet was able to initiate a transfer to the hospital for critical care. Through our vet and some online research of the FIP Warriors cause, we learned that there was a chance for Bones to get better... but it would take hard work, dedication, stepping outside our comfort zone, and, of course, a lot of money. We were confident that she could tackle this challenge with the help of FIP treatment, so we went for it. We started FIP treatment on August 12, 2021 via injection. Bones started treatment at 5.5lbs, skinny and lethargic, and began gaining weight and energy FAST within the first few days of treatment. She made friends with every person and animal she met during this journey, including the veterinary staff at both our local vet and the Kansas State Internal Medicine team, visiting clinics, Scooters/Starbucks drive-thrus, and members of the FIP Warrior community online. Bones got to experience many adventures during her treatment journey that we had worried she wouldn't live long enough to see, like a camping road trip in the fall, her first Halloween at home with us, community fundraiser events, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Bones ended treatment on day 84 at 8.2lbs, and just ended observation day 84 having grown a little further to 8.6lbs. Her energy, personality, and long fur have grown and flourished after undergoing FIP treatment in ways that made the hardship of the daily injections 100% worth it. - Bones, Atira, and Josh