Feline infectious peritonitis was until recently invariably fatal. Antiviral treatments now offer genuine hope for cats with FIP, transforming what was a welfare catastrophe into a manageable condition.
FIP was historically one of the most devastating diagnoses in feline medicine — a diagnosis of certain death delivered to young cats whose owners had typically known them for only months. The development of effective antiviral treatment has transformed this completely. Cats that previously would have died within days to weeks of diagnosis now achieve long-term remission with appropriate treatment. The welfare implications are profound: an entire category of feline suffering — young cats dying of FIP — has been largely eliminated for those with access to treatment. Access barriers (cost, regulatory availability) remain significant welfare concerns, as the treatments that could save affected cats remain expensive and not universally licensed.