Antiviral treatment for FIP has transformed this previously fatal disease, but treatment access remains unequal globally. Welfare depends on treatment availability.
Cats with FIP that cannot access effective antiviral treatment face a previously inevitable death from a now curable disease. The difference between life and death is access to antivirals - an access problem created by drug pricing and regulatory status. Welfare outcomes for FIP cats are now determined more by owner resources and access than by biology.