Conference misery::feline_v1

    Dunno about the cause of such an ailment, but we lost one of ours to
    this condition this time last year. She was an elderly kitty (17 or
    so.) The problem came on very suddenly (about a day) and her
    temperature was quite low. I would doubt that it's highly contagious.
    We had three others at home, none of whom showed any signs of the
    problem.
    
    kh

    Feline Infectuous Peritinitous (sp?) is a type of disease that among
    other things will bloat the stomach.  It is HIGHLY contagious, and
    often fatal.  I had a cat die of it.  He may even have been born
    of it, although studies are not conclusive as to whether or not
    it can be passed to unborn kittens.  His brother also had the disease,
    but sluffed it off and is now immune.  I did not own his brother
    then, although I do now.  All of my four cats have been tested for
    this.  All of them are now immune, but I could have lost them all.
    FIP can be determined through a blood test.  The results come back
    in ratio form (don't ask me for details, I'm doing the best I can).
    By the ratio and repeated testing, the vet can determine how the
    cat is doing, whether it is winning or losing the fight.  Be aware
    that a cat may have NO OUTWARD SIGNS and still have the disease.
    Tyler is the most macho, tough-guy cat I have ever had, and looked
    robust and well, but it was his brother who died, and Tyler had
    the disease and could have passed it on to any other cat he came
    in contact with (shared food, fighting, bathing, etc).
    
    There are many other symptoms of FIP, once it is in an advanced
    stage.  I would suggest that you see your vet, just in case.
    
                           Carol

    Feline Infectuous Peritinitous (sp?) is a type of disease that among
    other things will bloat the stomach.  It is HIGHLY contagious, and
    often fatal.  I had a cat die of it.  He may even have been born
    of it, although studies are not conclusive as to whether or not
    it can be passed to unborn kittens.  His brother also had the disease,
    but sluffed it off and is now immune.  I did not own his brother
    then, although I do now.  All of my four cats have been tested for
    this.  All of them are now immune, but I could have lost them all.
    FIP can be determined through a blood test.  The results come back
    in ratio form (don't ask me for details, I'm doing the best I can).
    By the ratio and repeated testing, the vet can determine how the
    cat is doing, whether it is winning or losing the fight.  Be aware
    that a cat may have NO OUTWARD SIGNS and still have the disease.
    Tyler is the most macho, tough-guy cat I have ever had, and looked
    robust and well, but it was his brother who died, and Tyler had
    the disease and could have passed it on to any other cat he came
    in contact with (shared food, fighting, bathing, etc).
    
    There are many other symptoms of FIP, once it is in an advanced
    stage.  I would suggest that anyone who has had a cat with this
    type of problem see his/her vet, just in case.
    
                           Carol

    FIP comes in two forms, usually called dry and wet.
    
    Wet form is the bloating, Dry is actually more serious.
    
    FIP is almost always fatal.
    
    The usual test is not 100% conclusive, many other things can give
    a positive titer.  We were once accused of having infected a visiting
    queen with FIP. The test were completely negative, which means that
    we not only didn't have it, we had never been exposed to it.
    
    dave

    
    
    Not only is the test for FIP not 100% conclusive, it is extremely
    misleading.  The test actually tells you whether the cat has been
    exposed to what is known as a corona virus.  There are many, MANY
    corona viruses that a cat can have that are totally harmless (in
    the permanent sense).  FIP is only one type of corona virus.  The
    test results come as a 'titer' which gives the vet information about
    how much the cat's immune system has worked in fighting corona viruses
    in general.  There are 2 major problems with the test.  One is that
    if the cat has a depressed immune system (perhaps because of FeLV,
    or something) it may not show a titer, or may have a very low titer
    even though it has been exposed.  The other problem is that if the
    cat is from a multi-cat household, or if it is an outdoor cat, it
    is HIGHLY likely to have a positive titer - if only from one of
    the 'harmless' other corona viruses.  So, many vets don't even
    reccomend testing for it...
    	FIP is a REALLY scary thing for breeders, because of the fact
    that there isn't a good test for it, and because a seemingly healthy
    cat can be carrying the virus.  I have heard that the virus is most
    contageous before the symptoms appear.  I have also read that the
    virus is quite hardy, and that typically vets reccomend waiting
    several months before bringing another cat into a household where
    an infected cat has lived.  Please ask your vet about this (.0)
    as I'm not sure about the time frame.  My deepest sympathies...
    
    Molly
    

    This is all true; thank you for the additional information.  I had
    forgotten all of this.  My vet had warned me about these things
    also, when Indiana tested positive (we had tested him for everything
    else, but his health was still failing, and all the tests said he
    was healthy, so we tested him for FIP as a last resort).  In our
    case, Indiana did die of FIP, but I remember the vet warning me
    several times that the test could indicate OTHER problems.  Shortly
    before I had him put to sleep, he finally showed the most notable
    symptoms: bloating being one of them.  At the time, he was one of
    three cats.
    
    As I urged people earlier to see their vet, I now feel obligated
    to say that if you do so, remember what the previous noters have
    said: the test is inconclusive.  You may gain some valuable
    information.  If indeed your cat does have FIP, you may also save
    another cat from getting infected by keeping your cat indoors so
    it will not spread this disease.  You may also gain a lot of 
    needless heartache and worry if your cat does not have FIP, but
    it shows a titer.
    
    Let's hope they get a cure for this, and that the original noter
    has another problem, not this one.
    
                 Carol

    After suddenly losing a 9 month old kitten earlier this week,
    I had many talks with vets and breeders.  One thing everyone seemed
    to suggest and/or agree with was that for my two older, apparently
    healthy cats, we should get each of the tested twice, two weeks
    apart.  The most likely cause for concern would be in they have
    increasing titres.  But even so, it wouldn't necessarily mean they
    would get ill or even pass it to others.  But that result WOULD
    make me reconsider another cat now.  
    
    It seems that "highly contagious" is not quite accurate -- one cat
    in a large cattery can have it and none of the others will.  On
    the other hand, it IS a virus, so it CAN be contagious, perhaps
    to a cat with a weakened system.  They just don't know that much
    about it yet.
    
    	Penelope

	      In late  1979,  I  got  my first two cats, Dodi and
	 Raymond (it was Do, Re, and Me), siblings. Dodi was very
	 small  and  always  appeared healthy as a horse. Ray, on
	 the  other  hand, was rather large, lethargic, and given
	 to  losing his dinner at regular intervals (which, I was
	 told, is not all that rare in cats).

	      In 1982,  I got Kili, mother of Dodi and Ray, about
	 six years old at the time and perfectly healthy.

	      In early  October  of 1983, my wife and I went away
	 for  a  weekend,  leaving the cats in a neighbor's care.
	 When  we  returned, Ray was having trouble breathing. We
	 took  him to our Vet, who guessed that he had an allergy
	 of  some  sort,  and  gave  him  a shot or two. The next
	 afternoon, Ray was hiding under a couch, dying.

	      We took  him  back  to the vet, who guessed that he
	 would  not  live.  He  died  that  night  in  the animal
	 hospital.  An  autopsy showed a chest full of fluid, but
	 the vet did not guess at a diagnosis.

	      One month  later,  Kili collapsed, having exhibited
	 no  previous  symptoms.  An  hour later, at an emergency
	 clinic,  (our  vet  was unavailable) she died while they
	 were  trying  to x-ray her. The autopsy report this time
	 came quickly and was quite specific: FIP.

	      This was  the  first  we  had  ever  heard  of  the
	 disease.  The  vet  was unable to tell us much about it.
	 Ray  had never been outdoors. Did he catch it from Kili?
	 If  so, why did he die one month earlier than her? Is it
	 hereditary?   When   Dodi  tested  negative,  was  it  a
	 guarantee  that she wouldn't get it? No good answers. We
	 were  advised, however, not to get any other cats (since
	 the vet really didn't know if a new cat would be exposed
	 to FIP). In short, we could get little information about
	 FIP.   Furthermore,  it  seems  that  relatively  little
	 research  is  being done (I guess FIP isn't as "popular"
	 as the Feline Leukemia).

	      Dodi was neutered this past June (at age seven, her
	 howling had finally reached truly unbearable volume). We
	 had  been  reluctant to do this to her; we felt that she
	 might  be  "fragile" considering her family history. She
	 tested negative for FIP just before the operation.

	      One month  later,  we  were  at the vet with Dodi's
	 breathing  difficult,  chest  90% full of fluid. She was
	 put to sleep that night, in order to avoid the suffering
	 that  Kili  and  Ray  had  experienced.  Autopsy result:
	 congestive heart failure.

	      My overall   impression   is  that  the  veterinary
	 community  has  relatively  little knowledge of FIP, and
	 that  research is skimpy. I, for one, don't ever want to
	 deal  with  it again. It has been extremely frustrating,
	 however,  to  have  so  little  information  about  this
	 disease  which  caused my cats, my wife, and myself such
	 pain.

    I wonder what tests were done to determine that Kili had FIP?  I
    learned at a veternary conference at U of Penn. that the ONLY
    conclusive test for FIP involves doing a brain biopsy of the cat
    post mortem.  Was there such a test done?  Perhaps they just guessed
    that your cat had FIP, because of the symptoms.  I would want to
    know FOR SURE.  Maybe it was something completely different, like
    a hereditary cardiomyopathy - which can cause congestive heart failure
    - or a number of other things.  
    re - inheriting FIP - I have a friend who had a female persian who
    he had to spay because her kittens all contracted FIP from her.
    She did not have any acute form of the disease herself, and she
    never passed it on to any of his other cats, but all her kittens
    eventually died of it....  I don't know what eventually became of
    her.
    re - research.  There actually is a lot of research in FIP, especially
    now that great progress has been made in FeLV immunology.  The problem
    is that they aren't getting anywhere very fast - although I have
    to say that 3 or 4 years ago FeLV research was in the same kind
    of jam.  There are many foundations which help fund such research
    - the Winn Foundation comes to mind.  They take donations, of course,
    or you can purchase the Kal-Kan/Winn Foundation annual CFA national
    winners calendar.  The proceeds from the sale of these calendars
    go to feline health research.  I will get further info on price,
    and ordering, and post a note.  
    
    My deepest sympathies to all who have personally experienced the
    grief that comes with FIP.
    
    Molly

    Molly,
    
    Several years ago, I also had a female who was very healthy, tested
    normal as far as FIP titers, etc. and always had problems with kittens.
    She would have a litter of kittens, and they would appear healthy,
    and by 3 - 4 months, they would have all died with FIP symptoms,
    i.e., bloated bellies, weezing, and all of the classic signs.  My
    vet did some tests with the fluid and determined that it was FIP.
    I had a difficult time believing that it was always the same thing,
    and that other kittens from other litters were never effected. 
    There was a time when I had 3 litters at the same time, and all
    of "Prissy's" (problem female) kittens would die, while none of
    the others seemed to have a problem.  Finally I had one of the kittens
    autopsied at Angel Memorial in Boston, and they said the kitten
    had died of Cardiomyopathy, not FIP.  Like you said, the symptoms
    can look the same.  
    
    I immediately had Prissy spayed, and found a nice pet home for her.
    It was worth the expense to have the autopsy done right, it saved
    me alot of worry, as far as the other kittens in the house.  
    
    Prissy, who was always a little standoffish, now owns her own family,
    and has turned into an excessively loving cat whos favorite place
    to sit is the Satin pillow on her new "mom and dad's" bed.
    
    purrs
    cin
    

    re:.9
    
    Kili died at an animal emergency clinic, not a family vet, on Long
    Island. We were told that the FIP was confirmed by examination of
    the intestinal area... there were certain characteristic
    "striations" that showed up indicating FIP. Does that make sense
    to you, given what you have learned? (you seem to know quite a bit
    more about it than we do).
    
    One interesting point: Kili died almost one month to the day after
    our first "FIP" cat, Ray, died. She seemed to show subtle signs
    of illness (no pain, just mild tiredness) for a couple of weeks
    before her death, but we realized she was really sick only in
    retrospect (the symptoms, until just before the end, were that subtle).
    The point is, if the problem were hereditary cardiomyopathy what
    are the odds of the deaths coming so close together, especially
    as Kili was about 6 years older than Ray? Could there be some
    infectious agent that has similar symptoms, and, if so, how did
    three cats who'd lived indoors for all their lives (or in Kili's case,
    for 8 years) get it?
    
    Thanks for the sympathy.

    After reading all these notes, all within a week or two of losing
    little Natalia Mouseky to FIP, I called the vet to ask about
    cardiomyopathy.  He agreed that there could be some confusion without
    careful diagnosis -- a he, too, mentioned the intestinal examination
    (internal, not just the general bloating).  He spoke of [forgot-the-
    name] that were coating various organs:  NOT what would be found
    with heart problems.
    
    Cosette and Fantine's first blood titers for FIP were in the low-middle
    range, and we are awaiting next week's test to make the final decision
    (us, breeder, and vet) about whether it is reasonably safe to bring
    in a new kitty (or two!).   Mouseky's level was "off the scale,"
    leaving little question about her cause of death.
    
    I miss her a lot.

    re .11
    	The 'striations' you mentioned are intestinal lesions, 'rips'
    in the intestinal walls, simialar to the kind of lesions one might
    associate with something like athlete's foot.  I believe that there
    are other diseases that can cause these kinds of lesions, but am
    also aware that if an autopsied cat has these it is most likely
    to have had FIP.  As far as I am aware, the ONLY way to CONCLUSIVELY
    diagnose FIP is through the brain biopsy test I mentioned earlier.
    
    I really hope that all of you who have experienced these diseases
    have happier experiences with your new cat friends!

    
    
    There is a very real possibility that our Annie has FIP.  She had
    not been acting right for the past week and we just wrote it off
    to her normal cycle of hairball discomfort, or whatever mood changes
    kitties go through.  Two days ago we realized that her breathing
    was very strained.  I brought her to the vet yesterday and he said
    she had quite a bit of fluid in her lungs - he wanted me to know
    that he was very uncomfortable with the way she looked and sounded,
    and that there is the possibility she has FIP.  He decided to check
    for other causes first, however, so he took an x-ray, first to see
    if the problem was a type of ulcer (not the case), and second to
    get a look at her lungs.  He took quite a bit of fluid from her
    lungs, but it didn't really make her much more comfortable.  He
    is going to try to take more fluid out today, as well as try to
    keep the balance between all this fluid and dehydration under
    control.  He is sending out blood samples for a range of tests.
    Even though Annie tested negative for FeLV and has had her shots,
    he wants to test for that again, too.  The way I feel right now
    is that I want to give this wonderful kitty every opportunity to
    fight whatever this is and recover.  She is five years old and has
    always been very healthy.  Is this realistic of me or is she being
    put through unnecessary discomfort?  We could use whatever support
    you can give.
    
    Thanks, Carole
    

    carole, i feel for you - it does sound serious, but it may not
    be FIP - i had a cat who display breathing difficulties, and
    had a large amount of fluid that kept building up in his lungs
    - this turned out to be a congenital heart problem that didn't show
    itself till he was 12 - i'm not wishing that to be the case for
    annie, any more than FIP - my point is just that there could be a
    number of problems that could show this symptom - in any case,
    certainly do not give up - at this point, you're not even sure
    what the problem is - maybe it can be cured without too much trauma
    to her - just hang in there and stay positive & hopeful - that was
    the only way i could handle my prumphrey's problem...

    karen

    
    
    Well, Annie's tests came back today and she is positive for 
    FIP and FeLV.  Talk about getting hit with both fists!  She
    has been at the vet's since Thursday, hasn't eaten any solid
    food, and is just barely comfortable when she lays quietly.
    She is my SO Mike's kitty and he had been away until yesterday
    morning.  Needless to say he is devastated by this.  It just
    makes me so angry that something like this can happen so
    quickly!  And the other thing that's infuriating and frustrating
    is that she tested negative for FeLV and has had all of her
    shots for it.  Up until now I really thought that she could
    fight her way through this one, but now I don't know.  The vet
    personally feels that it would be best to put her to sleep,
    though he wants us to feel right about it.  Somehow it just
    doesn't!  Whoever reads this, please say a prayer that we make
    the right decision for Annie's sake.
    
    Carole

    Carole and Mike,
    
    I really understand how you are feeling, having gone through this
    last year -- and it WAS AWFUL.  Tears still come to my eyes when
    I think of little Mouseky.  Her situtation was less typical; she
    was negative for FeLV.  Often a cat that has FeLV (even asymptomatic)
    is vulnerable to other things, such as FIP.
    
    The end was all very sudden.  In retrospect, I should (hindsight
    is great, huh?) have realized she was ill about a week earlier,
    but actually I am glad I did not.  She could not have been saved,
    and she spent the last week at home with her people to sleep with
    and to follow around, though she didn't do much of the latter the
    last couple of days.  She deteriorated very quickly to a rather
    sad state, and once the diagnosis was confirmed and she was clearly
    in dreadful shape, I had no difficulty with the decision.  She was
    barely alive -- and it all happened in about 24 hours -- so I held
    her and whispered "sweet nothings" while the vet gave her the shots.
    For her sake, I am glad the end came quickly and she didn't suffer
    too long.  Before we knew what it was, my instructions to the vets
    were: "Do *whatever* you can to save her, but if she cannot be saved,
    then don't let her suffer."  
    
    I guess the only thing to focus on if Annie is in bad shape is to
    think how much love she had, and to not let her suffer when she
    is miserable and can't be saved.
    
    By the way,  the FeLV vaccine doesn't "cause" FeLV, but it is not
    100% effective in preventing it, unfortunately.
    
    Call me if you want to talk.  I found it very helpful to pour out
    my heart to several others (thanks again, Cin!), both noters and
    not.
    
    	Penelope  (DTN 223-7322/home 617-492-6262)

    Carol,
    I have tears in my eyes as I read these last few notes.  You and
    Mike and Annie are in my prayers.
    Jo Ann

    My thoughts are with you.
    
    As an aside, the mention of the FELV shots triggered something.
    A Cornell report done recently showed that only 2 out of three cats
    given the shots actually develop the immunity, which happens to
    be the same percentage of cats that recover from FELV naturally
    these days.  There is also some question on the validity of the
    third series shot, as there is no titer change between the second
    and third shots.
    
    Remeber the love you have given and received, no matter what your
    decision is.
    
    Dave
      
  

    I'm very sorry....my heart goes out to you.  
    
    cin
    

    
    
    
    I want to thank all of you who have shared your concern and given
    your support during this really tough time.  We put Annie to sleep
    last evening.  Both Mike and I were with her as she passed to
    spirit, and (based on our belief structure) I know there were
    loving souls on the other side to greet her and who will care for
    her.  We buried her in a special place under a beautiful oak tree 
    in our yard.  We will miss her very much.
    
    Please send your prayers that her transition is an easy one and
    that she is happy.
    
    Thanks again.
    
    Carole
    
    
    
    

    
    ... and there will be one child born into this world to carry on
    - to carry on ...
    
    My thoughts and feelings go out to you, Mike and your sweet little
    Annie.
    
    Marion
    

    My thoughts are with you.  It was one year ago this week that I
    went through losing "Scrapthecat" to FELV.  Thinking about his
    short life still makes me cry, and my brother is even more
    devastated still than I since Scrap was his.
    
    Time will ease the pain, but the sense of loss will always be with
    us and you. All you can try to do is try to remember the good times.
    
    DonnaB

    My new little kitten, Justa Graykee, has just been found to have
    FIP.  She is such a dear sweet little thing that I can hardly believe
    it.  She only has one of the signs - the bloated tummy - and other
    than that she seems fine.  Though the tests won't be back 'till
    Tuesday, Dr. Schwartz said that it doesn't look good.  I guess this
    all hasn't hit me yet (I have never lost a cat to anything but old
    age).  I guess that all I can do is love her alot and hope for the
    best.
    
    Marion
    

    
    Marion,
    
    I'm at a loss for words.  Please keep us informed of your kitten's
    condition, and I'll keep you both in my prayers.
    
    Carole
    

    Marion,
    
    We'll say some prayers for your little one, too.  I wish there was
    something that could offer you comfort.  You're in our thoughts...
    
    Mary (and Honey and Chauncey)

    Marion,
    
    I *really* feel for you (as you can imagine)!  It is so sad to have
    something like that happen to a sweet little fuzzy.  
    
    I'm taking a few days off work, so would you please call me at home?
    (I don't have your current work number, and can't use DTN from home
    anyway.)
    
    My thoughts are with all of you...
    
    	P

    Thanks all for your sentiments.  Justa and I made a little visit
    to Tufts on Tuesday.  They did the FIP test over and want to do
    it a third time in three weeks.  They don't seem as sure as my Vet
    was that we have found the problem.  Don't get me wrong, they feel
    it is probably FIP, but when you are grasping at straws like I am,
    there is a good deal of space between "probably" and "for sure".
    I was thinking about it over the weekend.  All you can do is bear
    up with the situation as well as you can, and then let go if and
    when the time comes.  On Sunday I was remarking to myself that I
    seem to be takeing it all fairly well, when I realised why: deep
    down inside I just don't believe it.  Part of this disbelief is
    because in my entire adult life, I have only had one cat die and
    she was 20 years old (still births don't count, right?).  The other
    part of the disbelief is (I hope) founded in the feeling that if
    my kitty were really terminally ill, I'd know.  I feel a real mental
    link with my fuzzies - sort of like we talk to each other - and
    she would have mentioned to me if she was feeling really that bad.
    Crazy, yes?  Anyhow I guess I'll keep you all informed on how things
    are going.  The results of the last FIP test won't be back 'till
    next week.  Between now and then, that cute little kitten won't
    be able to hickup without my knowing!
    
    Marion
          

    Marion
    
    I wish you the best with your kitty.  FIP is a heartbreaker.  One
    of my breeder friends with a small but very promising cattery was
    put out of business by FIP.  One of her adults was a carrier and
    she lost every kitten after a certain point. Now the 4 adults are
    altered and apparently in good health.  Hope yours pulls through.
    
    Carole:
    Re: .16
    From the immunology I had in grad school, I would expect a cat that
    had the FeLV shots to test positive for Leukemia since the test
    measures antibody levels and the vaccine is supposed to produce
    protective antibodies.  The production of "protective" antibodies
    which may not protect (Dave McA's note) is one of the reason's breeders
    have not flocked to the FeLV vaccine.  We need to show a negative
    test to enter some breeding programs.  I might be tempted to try
    the vaccine if I believed in letting cats outdoors.  Since I don't,
    I won't.
    
    Be careful of introducing new cats into your house if it is FIP.
    
    Frank

    RE: .29
    
    Justa did test negative to FeLV.  I guess I can count my blessings.
    That fact, coupled with the fact that she had recently been vaccinated,
    casts a good deal of doubt on the FIP diagnosis.  Add in the fact
    that her Titer was low and I am starting to feel better about the
    entire situation.  What just may just turn up in the end is a bad
    diagnosis.
    
    Marion 

    
    Frank,
    
    Thanks for the info in FeLV - that makes sense.  Since most of
    our cats do go out on occasion, we thought it best to have all
    the negatives given the shots.  We lost a very special cat to
    FeLV (one who never went out), so we decided to do everbody
    (7 at that time).
    
    Since Annie's passing, we had our 2 year old male Buster Brown
    tested for FIP because he has always been rather sensitive and
    he was sleeping alot and basically looking run-down.  Two titers
    came back very high.  We put him on antibiotics for a while and
    are just keeping a close eye on him.  He had lost two pounds, but
    has since put them back on.  We will have him tested again within
    the next month.  He just may pull out of this.  He's looking very
    healthy.
    
    As much as we would like to get a kitten, we realize that under
    the circumstances it would be foolish.  Thanks for the advice
    and concern.
    
    Regards, Carole
    

    
    We just found out that our cat Reese, has FIP.  She is only about
    8 mos. old, but she is very, very tiny.  It was originally thought
    that she had Leukemia because she was so small (about 4 lbs.). 
    last week we noticed that she really was not feeling well, kind
    of sluggish, and unhappy.  We brought her to the vet, and they did
    another test for leukemia, which was negative.  However the FIP
    tests came back positive.
    
    Her fever was very high when we brought her into the vet's last
    week, and she had lost 1 lb. (25% of her body weight).  Her fever
    is back to normal, but she is still very weak.  The vet feels that
    she will not recover from this debilitating disease, and that we
    should consider putting her down.  
    
    I have some questions.  We have another cat, Roo, who is a non-blood
    brother (they are the same age, we adopted them at the same time,
    but they are not from the same litter).  Roo is very healthy and
    robust, showing no signs of trouble.  What can we do to determine
    if he has FIP?  If we bring Reese back home, will Roo become more
    susceptible to FIP?  What can we do to help Roo if he does have
    it/does not have it? 
    
    Also, if we bring Reese home, will she be in much pain?  Is it better
    to put her down before things get too bad?  How long can we expect
    her to survive?
    
    This is a very difficult decision, and I really would appreciate
    your help and advice.
                        
    Thank you
    Jon

    Can the vet test Roo for FIP?  He or she could also tell you whether
    it is contagious or not.  If it is contagious, and Roo is not infected,
    I would myself have Reese put to sleep.  Since Reese will not recover
    and she is so weak (three pounds), I think you have to weigh what
    could be many healthy years of life for Roo against a short time
    for Reese during which she will probably not enjoy life particularly,
    even though she might not be in pain.  Poor Reese.  Some flowers
    bloom for such a short time.  How lucky she is to have your love
    in her life.                
    

    I see from some previous replies to the base note that there are
    some questions about the validity of the test, whether healthy-looking
    cats can be carriers and so on.  I think you should ask your vet about
    all the questions you have about both Roo and Reese.
    

    I lost one about the same age to FIP, and I was distraught.
    (notes are in here somewhere in the past...).  
    
    I was panicked about the other two cats, as it IS contagious,
    but most exposed animals never get it.  And the test is NOT
    definitive.
    
    Call Dr. Jeff Barlough at Cornell Vet. School, Ithaca, NY.
    (sorry, I don't have his number handy)
    
    He is THE expert on FIP, and was extremely helpful and sympathetic
    when I spoke to him several times then.  My vet also spoke with
    him several times then.
    
    We kept the sick little one isolated for the short time she
    survived after she was diagnosed.  We kept her home for maybe a
    week, until it was clear that she was no longer happy to be
    cuddled and was suffering.
    
    FIP is sometimes diagnosed in error, so make sure that's what
    your baby really has.  It is rare for them to survive once they
    show symptoms, but not impossible.
    
    It is *so* hard to lose such a little one!
    
    Good luck,
    		Penelope
    

    A friend of mine who bred Birmans had her cattery wiped out by FIP.
    She has three neutered adults now who are probably carriers.  She
    lost every kitten she produced over a two year period.
    
    The antibody titer will tell if the cat has been exposed to the
    infectious organism and that's about all.
    
    F 

    How are Reese and Roo?