"The Risk of Love: A Deadly Virus, an Outlawed Cure, and the People Caught in Between" tells the story of the ethical and emotional complexities of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). FIP is a mutation of a feline coronavirus that most cats contract and survive, only experiencing mild symptoms. Conversely, a small percentage of cats house the virus in their bodies until it mutates into FIP, its most deadly form. A diagnosis was previously a death sentence for felines, but a new group of treatments referred to collectively as “GS”—delivered through a series of injections over twelve weeks—have been hailed as a “miracle cure” and have proven to save the lives of many infected cats. However, the GS treatments are not yet FDA-approved, meaning veterinarians cannot legally prescribe them. Pet owners and vets must face a challenging decision: allow their cats to die a slow death fraught with suffering, or attempt to covertly prescribe or buy an illegal drug. 

"The Risk of Love" gathers the experiences of cat owners, FIP treatment distributors, and veterinary experts to illustrate the full picture of the FIP issue. Filmmaker Anna Baugher takes a critical look at the legal guidelines that restrain a cat lover’s desire to help their beloved pet survive. The film tells an overarching tale about how human FIP fighters connect and communicate, utilizing social media as a form of resistance against an institutional injustice. 

Professor Alex Rafi contributed extra time, effort, and guidance to the completion of this project. In sharing his filmmaking expertise, he facilitated a smooth first-time filmmaking process. Anna would like to extend a special thanks to him.