Farewell to Margo

Sad news on the cat front our families beloved cat Margo passed away last night. Here is the email my mother sent out about her.


As many of you know about 6 months ago we took over being the parents of Kit Kat (Margo), after Carol & Corey where forced to give her up as Mel wanted to remain an only child. We found her to be a sweet and loving cat, that both Ted and I have grown to care for these past few months.


Unfortunately it turned out that she had contracted the Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus, which is a mutation of the corona virus, which many cats get (it is shed in feces and passed on to other cats, especially when there are many cats coming together such as in a shelter) The majority of the cats in the world come into contact with the cornona virus, and usually they fight it off or just become carriers of the corona virus with no side affects. Only 1 in 5,000 cats end up having the corona virus mutant into FIP. It appears from study that those cats that do get it may have a weaken system or a genetic trait for the mutation (just like certain humans get certain cancers and others do not). Since Mel is a strong healthy cat he like the majority of the cats in the world -probably will not get this disease.


There are two types, with Kat Kat it appears getting the dry type. With dry FIP cats show ocular or neurological signs- we did not realize that the large pupils that she displaced, the running eyes and the sneezes that she had for a short time(about three months ago ) was the advent of the disease. It was only on Monday that she started displaying the neurological signs, and started having trouble walking. I took her to the vet yesterday, and he told me that she either had just pulled the muscle in her legs, and was perhaps showing signs of a genetic defect(her rear legs were always a little strange) or she could have this FIP. (Which she could have gotten at birth or anytime during the three times she was in a shelter and for some reason -probably because just as some humans get cancer and others do not it flared into the FIP). There is nothing one can do for the FIP, but hope that the pet does not have pain. I got some pain pills and bought her home. She had a little special food and I laid her on a blanket on the bed- where she has been sleeping between Ted and I. I went to start dinner and when I came back into the room a short time later- she was all stretched out- I realized that she had passed away.


Corey, Carol and I will be burying her in the back yard. And we will remember Kit Kat (Margo/Brinta- she had several past names) with love.