My first cat has FIP and I must choose when to euthanize her

I'm taking care of Andraste, a 1y6mo female mixed breed. She has all her shots, is an indoor cat and has no feline companions right now, but she lived in a house full of cats until she was 4mo. Until august of this year the vet would always laugh and say "this princess is as healthy as she can be".

Recently she started to shy away from people, she's not eating or playing anymore, and lost 17% of her weight in an absurdly short period of time. I took her to the vet and she had a high fever. After a couple of blood tests and ultrasonic exams, the vet said she has "dry" FIP, her liver is already showing some signs of it, and soon she'll not be around anymore.

It wasn't "It could be FIP" but "the viral count is too high and she's exibiting the signs. It is FIP". I was hoping for anything else, really, from feline depression (I've been working too hard lately) to FIV. FIP was a surprise.

I wanna know a little about the sickness and euthanasia. I read books and half of the internet, but I want to know from pet owners as well. I decided Andraste will be put to sleep as soon as she starts to feel any kind of pain that makes her unable to enjoy the attention and love me and my friends give her, since her condition is incurable and inevitably lethal. So there's no point in waiting for her to start suffering too much or too long, I guess. She's already suffering enough with all the force feeding, blood drawing and injections, so feeding tubes and intravenous medication is a no-no, mainly because everyone told me she will die anyway and there's nothing I can do except end her suffering "when the time is right".

Am I being fair? Is there any conspiracy theory or madness that can say Andraste could eventually be ok? I read a book (by John August) that say a cat that doesn't get any better with treatment in three days... will only get worse. And it's been five days already and things are not too ok - three days ago she was still eating on her own If I offered her small amounts of wet food with a spoon, a week ago she chased a butterfly, but now she just... Lies there.

Can I get some hope or support, please?

PS: Sorry for the bad english

Welcome to TCS

I am SO sorry that you're going through this I've never had to deal with FIP, but I have nursed (and am nursing) several of my own animals suffering from terminal illnesses. For me, personally, once you get to the point where syringe feeding is the only way to get the animal to eat, then it's time to seriously consider that final decision.

No one but you can make that choice for Andraste - you know her better than any of us here ever will, and you can see and interact with her. I just feel that, with any terminal illness, stopping eating and losing all interest in food is a big indication that quality of life is fading fast. In the past, I have waited, and continued force feeding while the cat deteriorated, and those are the decisions I regret the most. Everyone is different, but I would always want them to go truly peacefully, and for me that means before all quality of life is lost. [article="29662"][/article][article="22338"][/article][article="29712"][/article]

Whatever and whenever you make that decision, I do suggest that you consider (and discuss with your vet) the possibility of euthanasia at home. It doesn't suit everyone, but I've always found it a much less stressful experience for all concerned....and it isn't something that vets automatically think of.

Lastly - know that you are NOT alone. Many people here have dealt with FIP, and more still with other terminal illnesses. We're all here to support you, if that's what you'd like

FIP is something I'll probably always have some fear of, having lost a one year old to it before.  I'm sorry you're going through this.  There are a couple of FIP support groups on Facebook and I highly suggest joining them and posting her blood work/other findings.  Best of luck to both of you. 

I'm going through the same thing. I have been syringe feeding her since 9/12 and giving meds . Lately she has gotten very weak and unbalanced. She had a few accidents where she went pee outside the litter box and now we have to carry to the litter box or she will just go where she is.

I put pads under her she sleeps next to me so I can take her to the litter box if she gets up.
We might take her to the vet today. Its so hard to make this choice.

I am truly sorry that you must go through the sorrow. We lost our one year old to FIP early this year & then a related to her 4 month old. We decided it wasn't fair to make them suffer by force feeding & gradually losing their dignity. We ended their suffering with euthanasia & many tears. There is no cure for FIP yet.

First and foremost, thanks for all the replies... I read the links and it made me so sad but... It's something I'll have to deal with sooner or later. Like I said, it's my first cat (my mom has a senior cat, but Andraste is the first I care all by myself) so it's terribly overwhelming for me.

Sometimes I tell myself making Andraste go through four or five feeding sessions a day is worth it - she still enjoys being petted and is aware of her surroundings, and until today I thought she wasn't in pain at all. Now I think she's in pain.... It's all happening too fast. Too fast.

I talked to the woman who owned the big house where I got Andraste from, and she told me all the horror she made her kittens with FIP go through. Twenty different meds, two shots a day, force feeding, IV drips... And now I hear the extreme opposite - people who think a cat needs its dignity and quality of life. So I've been thinking a lot. Thanks.

Monday I'll talk to the vet about it. He'll tell me if she's really in pain or not.

Thanks for all your kind words. Andraste saved my life, so it's time to repay the favor and make her life as comfortable as possible.

I just read this and.. I'm so sorry.    I chose assisted feedings for our boy but that was before FIP was suspected(vet thought he had herpes) and I was just trying to spare him from fatty liver disease, which is painful.  FIP was not suspected until we brought him to a third vet, with an elevated respiratory rate.  I'm grateful that she advised us not to bring him home to say goodbye to his brothers, as he was suffering. 

It's a really difficult decision to make(what to put cats through, regardless of what the potential outcome is).  I hope you can get some support from FIP groups(I think there's a yahoo one as well).  Best of luck to you and Andraste.  I'm so sorry you're going through this.

No words of wisdom but lots of hugs and empathy.  We lost our kitty, Gizmo, to FIP several years ago.  He was lethargic and wasn't eating so our vet ran blood work.  He gave him IV's but suspected FIP when he didn't improve.  We took Gizmo to a feline veterinary specialty hospital for a 2nd opinion.  She said his organs were already starting to shut down.  It's an insidious disease - sending special thoughts your way.