The Animal party has called for covid meds repurposed to treat feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) to be made available for free to volunteers and animal shelters.

The veterinary services on Wednesday detailed the procedure for getting the medicines after cabinet last week approved their use for cats.

The cost is €100 per pack of 40 tablets (€2.50 per tablet). It was explained that those caring for cats impacted by FIP must call their local state veterinary service in advance and the medicine will be handed over based on a prescription issued by their private vet.

“We ask that you immediately review this decision and reconsider the case of making these preparations available for FREE because it will be unfair to place the burden of this cost on volunteers who care for cats, and not only, in various colonies at their own expense and with many sacrifices,” the Animal party’s statement read.

The state itself should undertake to mitigate this epidemic and not the volunteers who already shoulder most of the costs, the party argued.

The Animal party had called for and welcomed the repurposing of the meds. The move to proceed came after international, seemingly sensationalist, headlines that the island was full of dead cats which prompted the British Veterinary Association (BVA) to issue a warning over visitors’ contacts with the island’s cats.