While FIP treatment has transformed outcomes for affected cats, access barriers including cost and regulatory status mean many cats in different contexts still die from a now-treatable disease.
FIP treatment access represents a genuine welfare equity issue. Two cats with identical FIP diagnoses can have radically different outcomes based solely on where they live and whether their owner can afford treatment. The cat in a country with licensed products and pet insurance coverage recovers; the cat in a country without access, or with an owner who cannot afford treatment, dies from a disease that is scientifically curable. This welfare inequity is the result of regulatory and economic systems that do not prioritize animal welfare alongside human medical access. Advocacy for broader treatment access is a genuine animal welfare action.