{"id":17020,"date":"2026-07-03T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/?p=17020"},"modified":"2026-07-02T21:38:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T01:38:25","slug":"athena-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/athena-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Athena: 3 Years Cured"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Today, we get to celebrate another anniversary of a momentous occasion. Three years ago, Athena was declared cured of FIP<\/a>. There isn’t too much to say this year for Athena’s cureaversary. Not much has changed since her last post<\/a>, which is mostly good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"close<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As always, I\u2019ve also updated her\u00a0FIP Bloodwork Google Sheets file<\/a>, which includes\u00a0all<\/em>\u00a0of the blood work values that could be related to FIP and her\u00a0blood work history dashboard<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

She continues to have low neutrophil levels, with minor variations up and down, but averaging around 1.99, about 0.63 below the low normal threshold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She’s still on twice-daily Optimmune and Optixcare ointments for her eyes. She actually had a normal Schirmer Tear Test<\/a> in February, but at her standard biannual visit in June, her left eye was down to 7mm, about 4mm below the low normal threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Athena
Athena wore her Penguin harness to her ophthalmologist appointment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In February, we tried taking her to a veterinary acupuncturist, but we only had one visit before the practice was closed indefinitely due to family issues. We did try all of the suggestions we were given, but none of them seem to have made any difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A quick side note: I’ve found the email for a doctor who has participated in several FIP studies. I’m working on the proper wording for an email asking if there is any indication of a correlation between (dry) FIP and eye issues or low neutrophil levels. Wish me luck in getting a response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Athena currently tolerates Ginny and Floofenstein \u2014 most of the time \u2014 but still prefers Ritz and Dante stay away from her. Some days she’ll be braver and hold her ground or ignore them; other days she’ll run away if they get too close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She’s still having issues with over-grooming, mostly along her spine. We can’t figure out if it’s stress, boredom, or a mental health issue. I’m considering trying her on a regimen of low-dose Gabapentin like we give Dante, but we have to figure out the right dosage. I want to help her take the edge off; I don’t want her spaced out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n
When she overgrooms to the point of skin irritation, I put her in her orange slice of shame or her onesie.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She’s doing better with potty accidents, choosing to take herself to the litter box rather than pee on her mat. I believe we’ve only had one accident since her last post. Fingers crossed that next time I write about her, we’re at zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While Athena remains Dad’s girl, she has developed an appreciation for cuddling with me, which is really nice. She’s napped on and with me a few times, either curled up on my chest or snuggled into the crook of my arm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Athena<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed this update on Athena. If you’d like to keep up with her progress, be sure to subscribe to my blog<\/a>, check her tag page<\/a>, or follow the AthenaUpdate hashtag on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, we get to celebrate another anniversary of a momentous occasion. Three years ago, Athena was declared cured of FIP.<\/p>\n

Keep ReadingAthena: 3 Years Cured<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[367],"tags":[361],"class_list":["post-17020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cat","tag-athena","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/athena19-featured.jpg?fit=288%2C288&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Z77k-4qw","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13090,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/athena-13\/","url_meta":{"origin":17020,"position":0},"title":"Athena: 1 Year Cured","author":"Rachel","date":"July 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, Jim and I are celebrating the one-year anniversary of Athena being declared cured of FIP! I take a look at how she's doing and her most recent vet visit.","rel":"","context":"In "Cat"","block_context":{"text":"Cat","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/cat\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Athena sleeping on her heating pad","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240516_195615.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240516_195615.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240516_195615.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240516_195615.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240516_195615.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/20240516_195615.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15069,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/athena-17\/","url_meta":{"origin":17020,"position":1},"title":"Athena: 2 Years Cured","author":"Rachel","date":"July 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, Jim and I are celebrating the two-year anniversary of Athena being declared cured of FIP! Find out how she's doing and how her most recent vet visit went.","rel":"","context":"In "Cat"","block_context":{"text":"Cat","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/cat\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/athena17-featured.jpg?fit=288%2C288&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16271,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/athena-18\/","url_meta":{"origin":17020,"position":2},"title":"Athena: 3 Years On","author":"Rachel","date":"December 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"We're now three years on from Athena's initial FIP diagnosis. Find out how she's been doing since my last update post, and enjoy some adorable cat pictures.","rel":"","context":"In "Cat"","block_context":{"text":"Cat","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/cat\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Athena looking at the camera with her right eye reflecting light oddly, making it look cloudy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250811_115416.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250811_115416.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250811_115416.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20250811_115416.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10389,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/athena-9\/","url_meta":{"origin":17020,"position":3},"title":"Athena: Life After FIP","author":"Rachel","date":"August 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"We are considering Athena cured. But, I'm going to continue documenting her journey to provide some information about a cat's life after FIP.","rel":"","context":"In "Cat"","block_context":{"text":"Cat","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/cat\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Athena in her hiding box while Bumbledore is on her heating pad","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/20230707_073756.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/20230707_073756.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/20230707_073756.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/20230707_073756.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12258,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/athena-365-days-later\/","url_meta":{"origin":17020,"position":4},"title":"Athena: 365 Days Later","author":"Rachel","date":"December 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been a year since Athena's diagnosis. Our little Goddess is doing well, and I wanted to mark this important anniversary.","rel":"","context":"In "Cat"","block_context":{"text":"Cat","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/cat\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20221224_112920.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20221224_112920.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20221224_112920.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20221224_112920.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20221224_112920.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10303,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/athena-8\/","url_meta":{"origin":17020,"position":5},"title":"Athena: Is She Cured?","author":"Rachel","date":"July 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"June was Athena's sixth month since diagnosis. We're waiting on her most recent results to find out if she's cured.","rel":"","context":"In "Cat"","block_context":{"text":"Cat","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/cat\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Athena Sleeping","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20230602_203031.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20230602_203031.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20230602_203031.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20230602_203031.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/20230602_203031.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17020"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17020\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17041,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17020\/revisions\/17041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}