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FIP Warrior:

Connor and Lala

Born in the dirt of a shipping container park....
Along with their three siblings, Lala and Connor's start in life looked pretty grim. But after being rescued by Cheltenham Cat Rescue at eight (8) weeks of age, we made a promise to them that life, going forward, would only be full of catnip, cardboard boxes and cuddles.

We were wrong :-(
Their battle has only begun. In the most unfortunate of circumstances, Lala and Connor have been dianosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). FIP is a viral disease caused by the feline coronavirus (FCoV). Not all strains of FCoV cause the illness, but for those that do, the outcome is fatal.

FIP is a horribly sneaky disease. Cats show no symptoms at first. They soon begin to display mild symptoms such as nasal discharge, sneezing, and watery eyes that looks like a simple case of cat flu. Other cats may develop symptoms such as diarrhea, bloated bellies, weight loss and breathing difficulties.

Only a few cats go on to develop full blown FIP. And because our feline friends are able to hide illnesses so well, the slow onset of illness may seem, to the untrained eye, rather sudden, with symptoms becoming more severe as the days pass.

IN the end, FIP iS FATAL.


Until Now
In recent years, a new medication has become available with exciting results for cat lovers. Sadly, despite its significant success rate in test studies, it is yet to be officially approved AND it comes at a high purchase price.

On the day of his diagnosis, Connor was so weak that he could not even hold himself up. His carers had to support him to sit up and eat. He was failing and failing fast.

We decided to throw caution to the wind and make good on the promise we made to Lala and Connor when we rescued them. After all, we had nothing to lose...and they had EVERYTHING to gain.

Within days of starting the treatment, Connor showed improvments and he continues to do so. WE KNEW we were onto something good.

As Connor got stronger, Lala got weaker. Her symptoms mirrored those of Connor in his early days and we knew that she too had contracted the virus. Without blinking an eyelid, we commenced immediate treatment on Lala, before the virus took a further stronghold on her body.

But we have hit a snag and need your help
The vital medication needed to treat both Connor and Lala is going to cost us $6,000. We've seen cats suffer before from this disease. In the multiples. We have watched, agonisingly so, knowing that there was nothing we could do but euthanise.

BUT here, we can see that this treatment is working and we will NOT GIVE UP ON them.

It’s not something that a small rescue group like Cheltenham Cat Rescue can afford ourselves. And here's where you come in. Can you help us?

We know it's a big ask. More so than ever in these difficult times, we know. But we also know that times like these, we rally. Our kindness, compassion and humanity is what makes us strong and we know we are surrounded by a community of compassionate animal lovers! You are out there! WE KNOW IT!

Thankyou !

Connor and Lala's Pages:

Chuffed Donation Page