They came through our door on a Thursday afternoon, already sick. No appetite. Diarrhea. Lethargy.

By Friday morning we had the diagnosis we fear most: panleukopenia.

Panleuk is essentially feline parvovirus. It strips the lining of the gut and destroys the white blood cells a kitten needs to fight anything off. In unvaccinated neonates, it kills more often than it doesn't. And the virus can survive in a building for up to a year, shrugging off ordinary cleaners — which is why a single positive test sets off a full facility emergency.

Within hours, we had every other animal we could move out of our building and into foster homes. The boys went into quarantine. And we started fighting.

What that fight actually looks like:

Nearly a dozen medications and treatments a day
Syringe feeding six times a day, because they won't eat on their own
First meds at 8am. Last meds at 9pm. Every single day.
Volunteer shifts paused for two weeks — so our tiny staff is absorbing all of it

This morning, for the first time, they showed the smallest interest in licking chicken baby food off a plate.

That's the whole win. And it's enormous — because after four days of panleuk, a kitten choosing to put food in his own mouth is the first sign the virus might not get to finish what it started.

They are not out of the woods. Not even close.

Panleuk can turn in an afternoon, and we've done this long enough not to celebrate early.

Where your gift goes:

Emergency vet visits. Panleuk testing. IV fluids. Anti-nausea meds. Antibiotics. Syringe feeding supplies. And the mountain of disinfectant it takes to keep this from spreading through our building and into the homes of everyone who fosters for us.

Code Red: Panleuk in the Nursery

All gifts matched up to $2,600 through July 19th