Calicivirus in stray kitten

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum, and I am looking for any advice I can get.  I have a happy, healthy indoor cat who likes to spend a little time outside as well.

A friend of mine asked me to rescue a very small kitten she found in the middle of the road, curled up in a little ball.  I wanted to take the kitten to the vet before bringing him home to where I have my healthy cat.  His eye was "gookey", and I was a little concerned.  The vet said he has calicivirus, worms, ear mites.  My daughter and I are heartbroken, because the vet says we MUST keep this kitten away from my healthy cat.  We are already in love with this little guy, and we are trying to get him as healthy as possible.  He is now sneezing, and will visit the vet again next week.  I just don't see how we can keep the two separated.  I don't want to keep the little kitten shut up in another room for the rest of his life.  But, I also don't want to expose my healthy cat to a possibly fatal disease.  The kitten is not even eight weeks old.  I have tried to find him a home with no other cats, but have had no luck.  Does anyone have ANY suggestions?  This little guy deserves to be happy, healthy, and have a loving home.  But, so does my indoor cat, and if I expose him to something and he gets sick, I will never forgive myself.  Thanks to all of you!

He does not have to spend the rest of his life locked away.  If your cat has been vaccinated, ask the vet what the probability of contagion is.

I do not know if this disease is always contagious or if that possibility diminishes with time.  For the interim, he does need to be away from your cat so there is no chance of it spreading.  Wash your hands and change clothes after you handle the kitten.

I would talk to the vet further and ask specifically what you need to do to get the kitten well again and keep the virus from spreading.

Here's an article about the virus, which apparently cannot be treated with antibiotics.  The article appears to say that the kitten can get over the illness but he's going to need a lot of support.

http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_feline_calicivirus?page=show

You may also want to post this in the Cat Health section.  People there are more knowledgeable and this subject.

And thank you for helping this kitty.  Welcome to TCS!

Thank you so much!  I talked to the vet again on Monday. His advice was to keep the two separated forever.  That's just not possible.  I have a lot of faith in my vet.  He just isn't one to promote rescuing, because of the health risks to healthy animals.  But, I can't help myself.  I want to give this little guy a chance.  Thanks again, and I will post in the health section as well.  Thank you again!

I agree that you will not have to keep the two separated forever. However, the kitten DOES need to be kept isolated while he is actively sick.

The duration of the illness varies from cat to cat depending on strain of the virus and the individual cat's immune system. Calicivirus is kind like the cat version of the flu. There are different strains and the vaccine doesn't protect against all of them.

I've had experience with Calici (usually in conjunction with Feline Herpes Virus and/or Mycoplasma). The mildest affected were 4 brothers that each got one ulcer either on their tongue or just under the nose. The worst case I have ever had was the litter mate brother of these 4 (my Tyson.) Tyson was critically ill for 4+ months. (I won't go into detail here, but happy to share if interested.) But, this is a good example of how a virus can so differently affect each cat.

Does your kitten have any oral ulcers? Just wondering how your vet determined it was Calicivirus vs Feline Herpes.

Also, if truly Calicivirus, once the kitten is over it, they don't have recurrent flare ups like with Herpes.

Thank you so much!  I have not seen any ulcers, and he eats VERY well......Lol.......the vet just examined him and told me that's what it is.  He is too young to test or vaccinate at this time.  But, he will go back next week, and I hope to try to get the vet to do bloodwork.  Do you know if there is a blood test that confirms calicivirus?  Also, he said they need to be kept separate, because the virus is always "shedding".  To me, that sounds like herpes virus.  I'm a nurse, and I always seem to think in human form.  If it's herpes instead, will they have to be kept separate forever as well?  I appreciate all of the advice you can give.  I want to keep both of these sweet boys happy and healthy for many, many years <3

I have an older cat who has the Herpes V virus and since he is old and has heart disease, has frequent flare-ups of colds. My solution has been to vaccinate my other cats with the "Distemper" shot, which is actually the FVRCP shot which protects against Herpes and the Cali viruses. There is the initial shot followed by the booster shot a few weeks later. I'll be honest, since my other cats were ferals who I could not easily get to the vet for the booster, I never got the booster. However, they have not come down with my older cat's colds, even though they share food and water bowls. So the vaccination, even without the booster is very effective.

I really question your vet's direction in this situation. You should keep the kitten in a room of her own for the next several weeks, but after that, there's no reason to keep her isolated from your other cat. If a cat tests positive for either FeL or FIV, there is cause to keep a cat separated, but not in the case of a cold virus. If one of your other cats caught a cold, they will heal just fine with antibiotics and time. Most cats are exposed to, and get a cold at some point  in their lives. The vaccine diminishes the severity very greatly.

Your kitten will feel happy and secure in a room by herself while she is recovering from her illness. Be sure and get her some Frontline and a de-wormer if she hasn't gotten these already. Get her a cat bed, some toys, and maybe a small cat tree with cubby holes in it so she can feel secure. You're giving her a wonderful life. Also, don't hesitate to consult a different vet if you don't feel confident in the direction this vet is giving you.

I wanted to add that clear, warm chicken broth is also wonderful for a kitty with a cold. If you boil a chicken breast in water and serve the broth, unseasoned, with some chicken in it, this will be wonderful and speed up the process. I've nursed many cats back to health. The important thing about sick kittens is to keep them hydrated, they dehydrate more quickly than adult cats.

If kitten gets congested you can try running a hot shower with door to bathroom shut-sit with kitten for 15 min. this helps break up mucus etc. You can also get some babyfood meat flavored if kitten doesn't eat. The virus can take 3 to 4 weeks to get over-if its herpes-I don't know much about Calici virus.

I would keep them separated and change your clothes after handling/feeding etc.
Just like with humans-we can pass a cold very easily-the same for cats. I don't know about testing for this virus but I can say with supportive care the kitten can beat it. Just make sure that kitten keeps eating, stays hydrated and not too cold or too hot.

There is not a blood test to confirm Calici vs FHV. There is, however, a PCR test that requires eye, nose and mouth swabs that helps in diagnostics. This is what I used with Tyson. The test isn't 100%, but I feel confident in the results from T's test.

If FHV, it can shed forever, but is rarely a continuous thing. Cats with FHV typically have flare ups during times of stress (think moving, new animals or people in the house, vet visits, surgery, etc..) However, the severity and frequency varies from cat to cat.

There is a new antibiotic on the market called Veraflox that is used to specifically treat secondary bacteria infections associated with FHV.

Famciclovir an be used to treat both Calici and FHV (would have to have the med compounded specifically for use in young kittens.)

Some members have seen benefit with the use of L-lysine for FHV. I tiny kitten would get about 250 mg twice daily.

I would recommend not vaccinating until the kitten was completely symptom-free for about 2 weeks. The vaccine (specially speaking about the FVRCP vaccine) can sometimes trigger a flare up.

My veterinary ophthalmologist says that nearly all cats have been exposed to FHV. Most healthy adults that have been properly vaccinated will not have issues when exposed to a kitten that has had a flare up. But, there is a chance your other cat could get it. The symptoms are often much less severe (watery eyes and occasional sneezing...can look like allergies.)

My oldest cats were exposed to FHV and Calici 4 years ago. These adults rarely if ever show symptoms. Out of the younger cats that have had FHV/Calici (8) only 2 have chronic issues (meaning they require medication treatment several times a year.)

Thank you so much!!!

 Welcome to TCS and THANK YOU for taking in that sweet kitten.  For my ferals, my vet has me use L-lysine and approves of my using certain herbs, such as slippery elm and marshmallow root - I believe that there are holistic vets online that might be willing to counsel you, if you choose to go that route.  I think that some vets are prone to err on the side of caution, always, which is understandable. you might try getting a second opinion. Definitely, you will want to ensure that your older cat's vaccinations are up to date & you also should look into immune support for the older one, which often includes L-lysine. Again, bless you for rescuing that little guy - he must have been so miserable, especially with worms & ear mites on top of already being sick.

Thank you for your advice.  We are already so attached to this little guy.  I hate the thought of having to give him up.  I was told when I rescued him that he was a girl, so my daughter had already named him Luna......Lol.....now he is Leo <3  My older cat is Atticus, and he is a mama's boy for sure!  And, he does NOT like having the kitten in the house.  He has heard Leo through the door, and I'm sure has "smelled" him.  He has always been attached to me, and like my shadow, but now he will barely leave my side!  He is extremely jealous.  I would be so upset if he became sick.  I love both of these babies, but it is not fair to Atticus for me to expose him to sickness.  It would be different if I did not know that Leo was sick, but I do.  I have to keep Atticus healthy, and at the same time, try to keep sweet little Leo as healthy as possible.  Thanks again for your advice! I'm sure I will be seeking more!!!  Have a great day!

There's no reason to give up Leo because he has a flu virus. I've taken in many different cats over the past 15 years, and most of them have gotten sick with the Herpes V or Cali virus at some point, and they recovered fine. It's kind of like when I was growing up and kids all got the chicken pox at some point or other. The solution for you is to get Atticus the FVRCP shot and the booster a few weeks later--that will protect him, and even if he were to get the virus, it would be very mild (some sneezing for a week). As I've mentioned, my older cat gets chronic colds but my other cats don't catch it from him even though they share food and water bowls because they've been vaccinated.

Jealousy between an established cat and a new cat is normal. What will likely happen when the two are allowed to hang out together is that Atticus will "adopt" this kitten and they will become buddies. Whenever I've taken in a new cat, I over-compensate with all of them by giving them new toys, more food bowls, more play time. Three months ago when I took in a feral kitten, all five cats got treated to a new, second cat tree and an abundance of catnip toys and daily play time with the wand toy. I had thought that my alpha male, Harry, would torment the new kitten (who is actually his little sister from a different litter), but he immediately went into big brother protective mode from day one and she absolutely adores him. Sometimes you just need to put aside your fears and reservations and give the situation a chance. It's been my experience that ALL cats indoors learn to co-exist in time. They are much better at getting along with each other than us humans are!   

Thank you!  I am going to take Leo to the vet again on Monday.  He is sneezing now........a lot :-(  I'm really worried about him.

Update on Leo:

We saw the vet again today, and Leo received his first FVRCP vaccine/nasally.  He was negative for leukemia.  However, my vet doesn't do the PCR testing.  He said Leo has some type of URI, and that he most likely has FHV as well.  Again, there hasn't been testing to confirm the exact type of virus.  He is still sneezing, but his eye looks so much better, and the vet said  he can tell that he is growing and doing better.  I let him interact with Atticus today, and I'm praying that Atticus doesn't get sick.  All of his vaccines are up to date.  I also got some L-lysine at the vet, and started Leo on that today.  He has no ulcers in his  mouth, and he is eating well, and pooping and peeing.  Is it the calicivirus that causes the ulcers in the eyes and mouth or the FHV?  And, which is more contagious?