Twinkle’s Fight for Life: The Side of Cattery Life You Don’t Always See

Most people see the beautiful side of running a cattery—the kitten photos, proud milestones, playful moments, and families welcoming their newest companions.

What people rarely see are the sleepless nights, emergency hospital visits, daily treatments, difficult medical decisions, and moments when love means letting go of the future you imagined to protect the life already in front of you.

Twinkle’s story is one of those stories.

It is not an easy story for us to share, but it is an important one. If her journey helps even one cat parent recognize a warning sign, seek veterinary help sooner, or feel less alone while caring for a sick cat, then sharing it will be worthwhile.

Twinkle is our beautiful fawn British Shorthair. At only one year and two months old, she has already faced more health challenges than any cat should have to endure.

To us, she is not simply one of our cats, and her value has never depended on whether she could become a mother. She is Twinkle—deeply loved, worth fighting for, and an important part of our family.

Caption: Twinkle, our brave fawn British Shorthair.

We are sharing her journey because we also want people to understand what responsible cattery life truly involves.

A responsible cattery is not measured by how many kittens it produces. It is measured by the decisions made when a cat’s health, fertility, and life are at stake.

Twinkle’s First Battle: Feline Coronavirus and FIP

Twinkle’s first major health battle began when she contracted feline coronavirus, also known as FCoV. This is different from the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans.

Feline coronavirus is common among cats and may cause mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, in a small percentage of infected cats, the virus can mutate inside the body and develop into feline infectious peritonitis, commonly known as FIP.

FIP is a serious disease that causes inflammation and may affect different parts of a cat’s body. Without appropriate treatment, it can progress quickly and become fatal.

Unfortunately, this was what happened to Twinkle.

Hearing that she had developed FIP was heartbreaking. She was still so young, and it was difficult to understand why she had to go through something so frightening.

The diagnosis brought fear, uncertainty, and so many questions. But from the moment we learned what she was facing, we knew we had to give her every possible chance.

The beginning of Twinkle’s first fight.

Eighty-Four Days of Choosing Twinkle

Under veterinary guidance, Twinkle underwent the BASMI FIP treatment protocol. BASMI FIP contains the antiviral active ingredient GS-441524, which interferes with the virus’s ability to replicate.

Her treatment required 84 consecutive daily injections—one injection every day for 12 weeks.

Even when she began looking and acting better, we had to continue. Improvement did not mean that her treatment was finished. Completing her prescribed protocol remained essential.

Those 84 injections demanded patience, discipline, courage, and commitment—not only from Twinkle but also from everyone caring for her.

Our work, plans, and even our travels had to be arranged around her treatment.

Whenever we needed to travel, Twinkle came with us. Her medication, supplies, and treatment schedule travelled with us too. Wherever we were, we made sure her injection was administered correctly and on time.

There were no holidays or days off from caring for her. Missing her treatment simply because it was inconvenient was never an option.

Wherever we went, Twinkle’s treatment came with us.

Every day brought us one step closer to completing the protocol. Some days felt longer and more difficult than others, but each finished injection reminded us why we had started.

For 84 days, our lives revolved around making sure Twinkle received the care she needed.

Those 84 injections were more than a treatment schedule. They were 84 promises that we would not give up on her.

We stayed beside her throughout that frightening chapter. We learned, asked questions, followed her treatment, monitored her closely, and did everything within our ability to give her a fighting chance.

When she completed her 84th injection, we finally allowed ourselves to breathe. After everything Twinkle had endured, we hoped the worst was behind us.

But another life-threatening emergency was waiting...

The Night We Rushed Her to the Hospital

Twinkle had been mated on July 9, 2026, and we believed there was a possibility that she was pregnant.

Exactly one month later, on August 9, 2026, we noticed that she was bleeding.

Our immediate fear was that she might be having a miscarriage. We did not know what was happening, but we knew we could not wait and hope that the bleeding would stop on its own.

We rushed her to the pet emergency hospital.

During the journey, our minds were filled with fear. We were worried that Twinkle might be losing her kittens, but more than anything, we were afraid of losing her.

The veterinary team performed a series of examinations and diagnostic tests, including blood tests and X-rays. Waiting for the results felt endless.

Eventually, the veterinarian returned with an answer.

Twinkle was not having a miscarriage.

She had open pyometra.

Twinkle at the emergency hospital
On August 9, what we believed was a miscarriage turned out to be a life-threatening emergency.

What Is Open Pyometra?

Pyometra is a serious bacterial infection of the uterus that can occur in female cats that have not been spayed.

Hormonal changes may cause the uterine lining to thicken, creating an environment where bacteria can grow. As the infection develops, the uterus begins filling with infected fluid and pus.

There are two forms of pyometra: open and closed.

With open pyometra, the cervix remains open, allowing pus and blood to drain from the uterus through the vagina. This discharge may sometimes be mistaken for heat-related bleeding, pregnancy complications, or miscarriage—just as we initially feared with Twinkle.

Although the infected material can drain, open pyometra is still a medical emergency. The infection can worsen, release toxins into the bloodstream, and cause a cat’s condition to deteriorate rapidly.

Without prompt veterinary treatment, pyometra can lead to shock and death.

Even with open pyometra, visible drainage does not mean the danger has passed.

Antibiotics or Surgery?

Twinkle was initially given antibiotics to fight the infection while the discharge continued to drain from her uterus.

Because her cervix was open, there was hope that the infected material could continue to come out while her condition was carefully monitored.

However, antibiotics alone do not always eliminate the underlying problem. Medical management may be considered for certain stable breeding cats with open pyometra, but it carries significant risks, and the infection may return.

For most cats, the safest and most effective treatment is surgery to remove the infected uterus and ovaries.

Pyometra surgery is more complicated than a routine spay because the uterus may already be enlarged, filled with infected material, and extremely fragile.

The moment I understood how dangerous her condition was, I began preparing myself for surgery.

Twinkle had been part of our breeding plans. We had imagined her becoming a mother and raising beautiful kittens of her own. Accepting that this might never happen was painful.

But the thought of losing Twinkle was unbearable.

No future litter could ever be more important than the life already depending on us.

When surgery became necessary, there was no question about what we would choose. Her infected uterus had to be removed to give her the best chance of surviving.

The surgery showed just how serious her condition had become. Her uterus was enlarged and filled with pus. Seeing it was difficult, but it also confirmed that choosing surgery was the right decision.

Medical image warning: Twinkle’s enlarged uterus following surgery
Twinkle’s uterus was severely enlarged and filled with infected material.

We may have lost the future we once imagined for her, but we chose something far more important: Twinkle’s future.

Our Cats Will Always Come First

At Birch & Bramble Cattery, our cats are family before they are breeding cats.

Twinkle’s value has never depended on her ability to produce kittens. Her health, comfort, safety, and quality of life will always matter more than any breeding plan.

Cattery life is not an easy path.

It involves far more than loving beautiful cats or welcoming new kittens. It requires continuous learning, responsible decision-making, proper veterinary care, sacrifice, and the emotional strength to make choices you never expected to face.

There will always be challenges we cannot predict. There will be illnesses that test our knowledge, emergencies that test our strength, and difficult decisions that test our hearts.

We do not claim to know everything. Every experience teaches us something new, and every challenge reminds us that we must continue learning, listening, and improving.

What we can promise is that our love and commitment to our cats will always remain our highest priority.

For us, being a responsible cattery means:

- Seeking veterinary care immediately when something is wrong
- Continuing to learn from veterinarians and trusted sources
- Being honest about both the joyful and difficult realities of cattery life
- Making every decision based on what is best for the individual cat
- Choosing a cat’s health and well-being over breeding goals
- Remaining committed even when caring for them becomes difficult or inconvenient

Twinkle survived feline coronavirus and FIP. After completing 84 daily injections, she was forced to face another life-threatening illness at only one year and two months old.

Through every diagnosis, injection, hospital visit, and difficult decision, one thing never changed: she was loved.

Because at Birch & Bramble, “British Shorthairs, Beautifully Raised” is more than a tagline.

It is our commitment to care for our cats through every milestone, every challenge, and every fight for their lives.

Through every challenge, Twinkle has always been surrounded by love.

Twinkle’s Story Is Still Being Written

We are sharing Twinkle’s experience because unusual bleeding or vaginal discharge in an unspayed female cat should never be ignored.

What may initially appear to be a miscarriage or heat-related bleeding could be a life-threatening uterine infection. Acting quickly could save a cat’s life.

If Twinkle’s story helps even one cat parent recognize the warning signs and seek emergency veterinary care sooner, then sharing this difficult part of our journey will have been worthwhile.

Have you ever cared for a cat through 84 days of FIP treatment, pyometra, or another unexpected medical emergency?

Please share your experience in the comments. Tell us what kept you going during the most difficult days. Your story may help another cat parent feel understood, supported, and less alone.

Please share Twinkle’s journey to help us raise awareness about FIP, pyometra, and the realities of responsible cattery life.

Follow Twinkle’s journey and learn more about Birch & Bramble Cattery:
www.birchbramblecattery.com

This article shares our personal experience and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Unusual bleeding or discharge in an unspayed female cat should be treated as an emergency and examined by a veterinarian immediately.

Medical references:
Cornell Feline Health Center: Feline Infectious Peritonitis
MSD Veterinary Manual: Reproductive Disorders of Female Cats
BASMI FIP Philippines