Why I’m Sharing This Now

Five years ago, I was in the middle of one of the hardest seasons of my life.

I had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Only a couple of months earlier, we had lost our beloved cat, Xander. The grief was still so fresh, and everything about the future felt uncertain and heavy.

That’s when Mochi came into our lives.

We adopted him in October 2020, just two weeks after my diagnosis. I remember bringing him home and thinking how tiny he was, and how badly I needed something to hold onto.

I didn’t know it at the time, but he would become so much more than a pet. He became my comfort, my distraction, and my light on days that felt impossibly dark.

Today, Mochi is celebrating five years cured from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), something that once felt completely out of reach. And I’m sharing this now because I want other pet parents to know there is hope, even when it doesn’t feel like it.

The Moment Everything Changed

Mochi was only five months old when something didn’t feel right.

It was New Year’s Eve. Normally, he would come running the second we picked up a toy, but that night, he didn’t. He just stayed still. His belly looked a little rounder than usual, too.

At first, I questioned myself. Am I overthinking this?

But that feeling wouldn’t go away.

I emailed my vet, but things escalated quickly, and before I knew it, we were at the emergency vet, scared and waiting for answers.

On January 2nd, we got them.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).

I remember hearing the words, but almost not processing them at first. And then it hit me. Our tiny kitten. After everything we had already been through.

It felt like too much.

Choosing to Fight

But there was a small thread of hope.

There was a treatment, something not widely known at the time. I didn’t know anyone who had gone through it. I didn’t have a success story to hold onto.

But our vet believed in it, and while she couldn’t get the meds for us or administer them, she could monitor his progress. And deep down, I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if we didn’t try.

As we drove home, I felt completely devastated, tears streaming down my face. My husband squeezed my hand and told me it would be okay, the same words he had said after my diagnosis, words I wanted so badly to believe.

So we started that night.

Eighty-four days of daily injections followed by another eighty-four days of observation and lab work.

I was terrified to give those injections at first. I remember sitting with him, syringe in hand, while my son held Mochi for me, second-guessing myself, worried I was going to hurt him.

Some nights were harder than others. There were tears. There was anxiety. There were moments I didn’t feel strong at all.

But every single day, we showed up and kept going. My son Jake and I made an efficient team, and his help and encouragement carried me through some of the hardest days. I truly could not have done it without him.

What This Journey Was Really Like

Emotionally

This journey stretched me in ways I didn’t expect.

I was already going through cancer treatment with appointments, radiation, and that constant underlying fear of the unknown. Adding Mochi’s diagnosis on top of that felt overwhelming.

But caring for him gave me something I didn’t realize I needed. Purpose.

On the days I felt the lowest, I still had to get up for him. He gave me something to focus on outside of my own fear.

We were both in a fight, and somehow, we were doing it side by side.

Mentally

My mind rarely rested.

I was constantly asking myself if this was working, if I was doing everything right, and what would happen if it didn’t.

You learn to live in that space between hope and fear. You do not get to choose one or the other. You carry both.

Physically

The routine was exhausting.

Giving injections, watching for changes, keeping up with vet visits and lab work, all while trying to take care of myself, too.

There were days I felt completely drained.

But somehow, when it came time to take care of Mochi, I found the energy.

Love does that.

Spiritually

This part is hard to explain, but it felt like there was something bigger in all of it.

Mochi came into my life at exactly the moment I needed him most.

And through everything, the fear, the treatments, the uncertainty, I truly believed God had sent him to me for a reason.

He was not just healing.

He was helping me heal, too.

What I Learned Along the Way

This experience changed me.

You are stronger than you think. Even on the days you feel like you are falling apart, you are still showing up.

Hope does not have to be big to matter. Sometimes it is just a small what if, and that is enough to keep going.

Healing can go both ways. I was fighting for Mochi’s life, but in so many ways, he was helping me through mine.

Take the chance, even when it is scary. I did not have guarantees. I did not have proof that it would work. But choosing to try changed everything.

The Outcome We Prayed For

On June 18, 2021, Mochi was declared cured.

I still remember hearing those words and almost not believing them.

After months of fear, routine, and holding onto hope as tightly as I could, we made it.

What once felt like a death sentence now had a different ending.

And today, five years later, Mochi is still here. Healthy. Happy. Still, that same little light he has always been. And me? I beat breast cancer. We are both survivors.

For Anyone Facing a FIP Diagnosis

If your cat has just been diagnosed with FIP, I want you to know this.

You are not alone.

I know how scary it is. I know how overwhelming those first moments feel.

But now, there is hope.

Treatment is available. It is legal in the United States and many other countries. And there are more and more success stories every day.

Please do not be afraid to ask questions, seek support, and explore your options.

You are not alone in this, and this diagnosis is not the end of the story.

Turning Pain Into Purpose

As Mochi recovered, I could not stop thinking about how alone I felt in the beginning.

I did not know anyone who had gone through FIP treatment. I did not have someone telling me it was going to be okay when we decided to seek treatment. Fortunately, our vet encouraged us and eventually connected us with a survivor.

So I decided to share our story.

I started an Instagram account to document Mochi’s journey and help other pet parents feel less alone and less afraid.

Because sometimes, all someone needs is to see that survival is possible.

Looking Back and Forward

When I look back now, I see everything we went through.

The loss. The diagnoses. The fear. The exhaustion.

But I also see something else.

I see love. Strength. Resilience.

Mochi came into my life when everything felt broken.

And somehow, through his fight, he helped put pieces of me back together.

Five years cured is not just a milestone.

It is a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there is still hope. That healing can come from the most unexpected places. And that sometimes, the ones we are trying to save end up saving us, too.