WYCKOFF, N.J. - For decades, EveryCat Health Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing feline health, has supported research and education initiatives around the world. While the goal has always been to improve the lives of cats and the people who care for them, the research has also led to discoveries that reach far beyond feline medicine. Research funded by EveryCat has contributed to a better understanding of coronaviruses, including those related to COVID-19; helped scientists uncover how genetics influences certain cancers across species; and laid a foundation for the study of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in humans.
Coronavirus in Cats: How Helping Cats Helps Humans
Early progress in understanding Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a once fatal disease in cats, came from the work of Dr. Niels Pedersen at the University of California, Davis. Decades ago, his research helped identify the feline coronavirus responsible for the disease and laid the groundwork for antiviral treatment options. That work eventually led to GS-441524, a drug that can cure FIP in cats. The same scientific pathway also led to the development of the human antiviral medication remdesivir, which became an important treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
And this research continues. In 2023, EveryCat Health Foundation partnered with Morris Animal Foundation to respond to a major outbreak of FIP in Cyprus. The disease spread unusually quickly — with roughly 15,000 confirmed cases — raising concerns that something about the virus or its spread differed from what scientists previously understood about feline coronaviruses. EveryCat and Morris Animal Foundation quickly funded new research, with EveryCat contributing $496,832 during the initial phase of the project — adding to the nearly $1 million invested in more than 70 FIP-related studies conducted since the disease was first identified in the 1960s.
Scientists will continue to build on this work, leading to additional treatments for FIP in cats and adding to the knowledge that informs the global response to coronaviruses in humans, such as COVID-19.
“Not long ago, many scientists questioned whether viral diseases like this could even be cured,” said Dr. Dean Vicksman, Board Chair of EveryCat Health Foundation. “Research supported by EveryCat helped show that it was possible. Now we’re seeing scientists build on those discoveries and apply what we learn in one species to help another. The possibility that treatments developed for FIP could also inform therapies for conditions like COVID shows why translational medicine is so important.”
Feline Research Reveals Potential Cancer Treatments
EveryCat has also supported research exploring the genetics of cancer in cats. In one study, scientists examined tumor samples from approximately 500 cats collected from multiple countries to better understand the genetic changes that drive cancer.
When researchers compared those findings with human cancers, they discovered important similarities. These insights may help develop future treatments for several types of cancer in humans — particularly breast cancer, which can be aggressive in both species.
“This research highlights the broader impact of feline medicine,” said Jackie Ott Jaakola, President and CEO of EveryCat Health Foundation. “You don’t have to love cats to benefit from these studies. Scientific discoveries often cross species boundaries. Sometimes feline research leads to treatments for people, and in other cases, advances in human medicine help us better care for cats.”
Cats and Humans: Heart to Heart
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a form of heart disease affecting an estimated 1 in 7 cats and 1 in 300 humans. Since 1997, EveryCat has funded over 30 studies totaling $600,000 to understand and explore treatments for this condition. Two medications recently approved for use in humans with this condition, Camzyos™ (mavacamten) and Myqorzo™ (aficamten), were initially studied in felines.
EveryCat Health Foundation’s Contributions to Translational Medicine
Translational medicine means that discoveries made in one species can help solve medical problems in another. The research funded by the EveryCat Health Foundation to improve feline health often contributes to this process. By supporting studies that advance the understanding of diseases in cats, the foundation’s work can also help lay the groundwork for new approaches in human medicine.
Research like this is only possible because of the ongoing support EveryCat Health Foundation receives from its community of donors. Contributions from individuals and businesses enable the foundation to fund studies that expand our understanding of feline disease and advance discoveries that may benefit human health.
“We are proud that the research we fund is improving the lives of cats, while also contributing to discoveries that may benefit human health,” said Ott Jaakola. “None of this work would be possible without the generosity of our donors, whose support continues to advance feline health and well-being.”
About EveryCat Health Foundation
EveryCat Health Foundation, established in 1968, advances feline health by supporting groundbreaking research and education. The organization has funded more than $12 million in feline health research at over 30 partner institutions worldwide. Research supported by EveryCat helps veterinarians improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of common feline diseases. Grants are awarded at least twice yearly with guidance from the foundation’s expert scientific review panel.
For more information or to support feline health research, please visit www.everycat.org.
Contact
Jackie Ott Jaakola
EveryCat Health Foundation
1-201-275-0624
jjaakola@everycat.org
www.everycat.org
Media Contact
Company Name: EveryCat Health Foundation
Contact Person: Pam Abrahamsson
Email: Send Email
Phone: (503)298-9749
City: Wyckoff
State: NJ
Country: United States
Website: https://everycat.org/
