A cat owner is warning other animal lovers after spending thousands of pounds saving her then four-month-old kitten who caught a mutated version of coronavirus.

Helen Tomlin, 53, from Havering, wants to raise awareness of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) after she spent more than £7,000 saving her British blue Millie from the disease.

The avid cat lover said four months after coming down with the infection, Millie is getting better thanks to a “miracle” 84-day daily remdesivir injection.

According to Cats Protection, FIP is an uncommon but fatal disease caused by an infection from mutated feline coronavirus, which is most common with young cats aged six weeks to two years old.

The charity says signs vary, but cats can become unwell with a fever, appear lethargic and go off their food.

%image(15310169, type="article-full", alt="Helen said Millie had a "very tough time and could have been put to sleep".")

Helen said Millie’s signs also included being bloated; she urged anyone who notices these symptoms to contact the vets immediately.

Despite having previously owned five cats, Helen said she had never heard of FIP and hopes by sharing Millie’s story, other cats can be saved.

She thanked everyone who helped Millie get well: “I love cats so much and I hope this knowledge will help other owners.”