The owner of Boncuk was always in love with cats. She never hesitated to feed each and every cat she found wandering in the streets of Turkey. One day during her usual stroll, she spotted a cat lying with her belly facing the sun. She thought that he was just sunbathing, but when she approached the kitten, she realised that it was in critical condition. The cat, whom she called Boncuk, had a swelling in his abdomen protruding through his fur. She realised that something was not right, so our heroine rushed to the nearest vet clinic.
First Meeting
At first, the veterinarian thought that the cat might have parasites and so they started a three-day treatment. He could barely move and he had a terrible case of diarrhea. The vet hoped that the pills prescribed will help Boncuk feel better but the treatment prescribed was not working. Boncuk’s abdomen was, in fact, more swollen than when he got checked in the clinic. They took a liquid sample from Boncuk’s abdomen and ran a FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) test. The result came positive. Boncuk was barely two years old when he got this horrid diagnosis.
‘He was in very bad shape when I found him’ Boncuk’s owner told us.‘He used to run away from me at first, but when he got sick, he came straight to me and hugged me.’
A Shocking Diagnosis
To make the matter worse, it turned out that Boncuk had Wet FIP, which is a violent case of FIP. When I asked her to talk about Wet FIP, Boncuk’s owner commented:
‘It's a nuisance in my opinion. Treatment is a difficult process. It causes the imminent death of cats. Wet FIP damages the internal organs and is visible once the cat starts accumulating water in the abdomen.’
Boncuk’s owner is not willing to give up though. They are struggling together with this disease. He suffers the pain and she suffers the costs of the treatment. The needle used in medical procedures for treating FIP is extremely expensive. Furthermore, the pills and tubes are also rather pricey.
‘Those who have a cat with FIP know that this process is very tough financially and emotionally. Now, we need more financial assistance than ever because Boncuk’s medicine "PRIME" costs 1,200 TL.’
You see, as the cat gets older, it gains weight which means that the dose of the drug needs to be increased. With enough donations, Boncuk could be saved. If you read our article on FIP in Turke, then you know that there are some options available for treatment.
‘I don’t want to lose him!’ said our heroine. ‘I see Boncuk staring out the window, longing for the streets. He deserves to be able to walk around like a normal cat.’
Donate Now
Help Boncuk to walk again by donating here. You can find updates on him by following @fipboncuk_