In the end, it was really unfair. Here we had adopted this precious little cat from a nearby shelter thinking we’d have years and years of playfulness and companionship only to find out she had a fatal illness a day prior to having her for only two months.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis, or FIP, is a type of coronavirus (different than the human version) and is fatal in cats. Easily confused with FIV, which most cat people are aware of, FIP has two forms: wet form and dry form. Ananda had the wet form.

Our vet was angry with the shelter for adopting out this cat and immediately called the shelter to let them know they adopted a cat with FIP (also highly contagious to other cats she would have been exposed to in the shelter). I was angry, too. She had an eye infection almost immediately when we brought her home. The shelter vet tech explained it was like herpes of the eyes and this group of cats they took in from a shut down shelter likely all had this. If they knew the cats were sick, why would they have adopted them out?

I had always told people “I’m not a cat person”. Having not grown up with pets, something about petting a dog or cat made me feel like my hands were dirty. I’d immediately go wash my hands. When I had allergy testing 6 years ago, I was almost happy to be allergic to dog and cat saliva so I’d have a more valid reason not to touch other people’s pets. So why was I so drawn to Annabelle (we renamed her Ananda which means bliss or happiness) when I saw her photo?

The day we met Ananda, the guy at the shelter mentioned we were the only people Ananda had not attacked in some way. We were sure we hit the jackpot with this sweet little creature. She knew we were her people and would give her a loving environment for the end of her little life.

We are better for having had her for that short time. I didn’t expect to take it as hard as I did. It’s incredibly painful to make the decision to put down an animal in their suffering. I was so sad she only got to live a year and a half. I think the whole experience was to show me that I AM a cat person.

Ananda was with us December 9, 2020 to February 10, 2021. Our Ragdoll cat Aria came to us in April 2021 and River followed shortly after as a kitten in May 2021. Without Ananda, it’s doubtful we’d be sharing our lives with Aria and River. For her, we are extremely grateful she chose us.



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