Siberian Kitten has Feline Coronavirus

Hello All!

It is  my first post on this site and unfortunately it is not for a happy reason.  I just purchased a Siberian Kitten 2 weeks ago (she is now 12 weeks old).  Last week, I got her 2nd kitten shots and had blood work and a stool test done on her (just to make sure everything was in order).  Following the shots, she has not been eating or drinking much at all.  Today, she has finally started to drink, and I got her to eat a bit of food. The vet also gave me antibiotics to give her for the next 10 days and said this sometimes happens with kittens.

The issue I have here is that the vet also said she is positive for feline coronavirus.  She told me that most purebred cats have this, and that I should not return her to the breeder as almost any other purebred cat will have this virus.  She said that in 90% of cats with coronavirus, FIP never develops.

Is all of this true?  I just don't want to get attached to a kitten that may die early.  Should I return her to the breeder?  The breeder guaranteed against FIP, but never stated anything about coronavirus.  Do you even think a breeder would accept a return on a kitten for this reason?  Is it true most purebreds have corona virus?

Any answers are appreciated! I'm kind of pulling out my hair here worrying about it.

Thank you!

The info your vet gave you is correct.  http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/brochure_ftp.cfm

The coronavirus is very common.  For a reason that isn't completely understood in a small number of cats it becomes FIP.  It seems to be a combination of a mutation of the virus and the immune response in some cats.  FIP is unique to cats and is found among cats in the wild as well.  There is nothing you can do to prevent this from happening but the odds are very good that your kitten will not develop FIP.