Ratatouille was found by Artemis on the street in North Miami on our nightly walk. Artemis is a gentle soul and so it wasn’t surprising that this weeks-old little scraggly kitten sought shelter at her feet.

I looked around frantically for a mother or other siblings so I could reunite them, but found nothing. The scrawny, starving little kitten came home with us that night, and that is how Ratatouille was named and became part of our Artemis House family.

Six months later, we noticed Ratatouille’s back legs began wobbling. He was taken to the vet and prescribed antibiotics and then steroids that did nothing. We continued with several vet visits and diagnoses to no avail, and by then Ratatouille was barely crawling and had lost a lot of weight. Eventually, the vet gave up on him and we were told to put him down. We resented the idea and were determined to try harder to cure him. Finally, a cat neurologist diagnosed Ratatouille with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) , caused by certain strains of the feline coronavirus that mutate and affect the brain functions.

We found a FaceBook group, FIP warriors. It was through this site and their wonderful volunteers that we were able to locate a treatment for Ratatouille. By now he had become completely paralyzed and we began a 85-day treatment through daily injections.

At times it became unpleasant. As he started gaining some strength, he began resisting treatment. With the help of a volunteer, we completed his treatment. Another 85 days of observation followed to make sure he did not relapse.

Ratatouille is a true hero, he has fought from the day Artemis found him. He has survived the unimaginable and today he lives a normal cat life in our sanctuary, walking, running, and jumping. He reminds us every day that giving up is not an option.