Very scared for my cat!!!

mamamia

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I posted a couple of days ago about losing a kitten to FIP.  That was heartbreaking, but I was somewhat consoled by my other sweet cat.  Mia is 5 years old and has always been very healthy.

I first noticed her throwing up a few days before Blaze died.  Honestly, I assumed it was a fur ball or something she ate (she likes to hunt when she's allowed outside).  It happened a couple of times.  Then we lost Blaze and she threw up again the next day.  I was hoping it was just a fluke.  Then today, it happened again.  It was mostly watery...no food or fur. 

Otherwise, she's acting just fine.  Yesterday, I caught her chasing a baby bunny around the yard (I brought her inside) and she's been very playful.  She doesn't appear to have any other symptoms...just throwing up...an very sporadic.  And all this started around the time that Blaze was at his worst.

I'm debating if it's worth a trip to the vet just to ease my mind.  She really hates the vet and I hate to put her through it.  And even if she does turn out to have FCoV, that doesn't mean it will turn into FIP, right?  I've read FCoV is fairly common in cats, but usually much younger cats.  Mia is 5, but she was found in my neighborhood and rescued as a kitten.  She lived with a neighbor before coming to live with us.  Other than her brother and a handful of neighborhood cats, she really hasn't had close contact with a lot of other animals.  And since coming to live with us, I'm minimized her outside time to just a couple of hours a day and only in good weather.  Maybe she just hasn't had contact with it yet?

Does anyone have experience with FCoV?  Is periodic vomiting a symptom?  What else should I be looking for?  Any advice would be welcomed!  Losing Blaze was so hard, but to lose Mia too would be devastating!
 

catwoman707

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So sorry you had to go through losing a kitten to the dreaded fip.

You will be happy to know that vomiting is really not a sign of coronavirus exposure.

Frankly I would not worry about your cat at 5 years old coming down with fip. 

Symptoms of the coronavirus are very minimal, a day or two of not feeling themselves, maybe even a mild cold type thing.

Not vomiting though.

I would take a look at her food first.

Vomiting in an adult cat makes me think more on the lines of intestinal upset/inflammation, possibly early IBD, which can be helped early on with a total change in diet, to a more limited ingredient food, with a protein that has not been fed before. 

With your kitty, I would start by settling her tummy down with removing all food and feeding her ONLY turkey baby food, warm it up, she'll love it.

Do this for 2 days solid, her system will have calmed down, the 3rd day you can begin to bring regular cat food back in to her diet.
 
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mamamia

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Thank you for your post!  I've also read that vomiting wasn't a primary sign of FCov, but I was interested in the experiences of others. 

I'm cautiously optimistic about Mia.  She's still very energetic and playful (or as playful as she gets-she really doesn't play with anything except for my hair bands-LOL).  But I let her outside for about an hour today and she played in the yard, chased a chipmunk and spent some time watching the birds on the feeder.  Other than crying every morning at 4am, which is when she and Blaze used to meet up and play a game of chase around my bedroom, she's completely normal. 

I'll pick up some turkey baby food tomorrow while I'm out.  She's currently on Wellness Core, which is a good food, but for her dinner, I usually give her real meat, like salmon, tuna, chicken or mackerel.  She was getting sardines when all of this started.  It's not a usual food for her, but it's a favorite of hers so I save it for treats.  Perhaps that upset her tummy.  I've shared her diet with the vet who is happy with what she eats.  Her coat is so soft and beautiful! 

Thank you again!  I'll pick up the baby food tomorrow and try it out!  I think I'll also keep her inside for a few days, in case maybe she's eating something outside.  Thanks again!!!!
 
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