If there were prizes for winning hide-and-seek Sipho would need a huge trophy case. The little cat used to stay hidden more often because he didn’t feel well. But today, he wants something much better: people, hugs, and all the love he can get. He has come a long way, even though he was very sick.
This story is part of our Faces of No-Kill series, which tells the stories of pets who lost their homes. These pets are doing well now because animal shelters agreed to help them and the community found a way to do so. Best Friends wants every shelter and community to reach no-kill, and this story shows how important that is.
Here they come, whether you’re ready or not.
Sipho his siblings and their mom looked for the best place to get the help they needed. They were found hiding under a trailer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Right away the people who took care of them saw that they weren’t feeling well. The veterinary team found that all seven kittens and their mother had feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a rare but deadly viral disease in cats.
Sipho had neurological FIP which is the kind that makes it hard to move and coordinate. He had trouble with even simple things like standing, walking, and playing. He didn’t know what to do and didn’t feel well, so he wanted to curl up and hide from the world. Eventually, he would stop hiding and start looking. But first, he needed to get better.
The good news for Sipho is that the Sanctuary’s veterinary team has a lot of experience treating FIP. To give them the best chance of getting better, he, his mom, and his littermates started taking medicine every day.
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It took months of care, watching, and a team that was dedicated to helping them every step of the way. But Sipho, his mother, and his siblings all started to feel better. As his personality began to shine, Sipho got stronger and more sure of himself.
As Sipho’s strength came back, he used it to work toward a much bigger goal: winning the hide-and-seek championship. One morning, he asked a cat friend to help him find a better place to hide. Sipho made the perfect disguise by hiding under the other cat’s bedding and having his partner lie on top of him.
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He almost got away with it. The other cat’s not-so-innocent look was the only thing that helped Best Friends caregiver Riley Prewett figure it out. Riley says, The other cat was giving me a naughty look. And I thought, You know something, don’t you?
Giving up his trophy
Not only did Sipho lose that round with Riley, but he also doesn’t show off his hiding skills as much anymore. He can now focus on his new favorite thing: finding someone’s lap to cuddle up in. He has only a few minor problems left over from FIP.
Sipho’s siblings and mom have all found homes of their own, but everyone who spends time with him at the Sanctuary still loves him and plays hide-and-seek with him.
No-Kill Faces: Cat does well after FIP treatment
Riley says, Cats with FIP and FIP survivors are just like any other cat; they might just need a little extra help. But they bring just as much love, joy, and affection.
Sipho approaches life with the same excitement he had when he was recovering: he’s always ready for what’s next and all in. He might climb into a hidey-hole for a quick nap or stretch out across someone’s lap.
Let’s make every shelter and every community a no-kill area.
At Best Friends, we want to help all animal shelters in the U.S. reach no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter that can be saved, while also keeping the community safe and making sure pets have a good quality of life.
Staff at the shelter can’t do it all by themselves. Everyone should help save animals in shelters, and the community needs to get involved and support the cause. We can make no-kill happen if we work together in a smart, honest, and cooperative way.
