a lengthy bit of background - I currently have a 13 year old male cat, Casey, that I rescued from a shelter at 12 weeks of age. Back in June both of his companions (both male, 11.5 and 13) passed from health issues. They were both also rescues.
I have finally decided that it is time to get Casey a friend. He has been very lonely since becoming an only cat and I can't quit my job to stay home with him 24-7
. So just over a week ago I went looking for a new kitten - 5-6 months old and male were the general requirements. Personality was a big consideration.
I found a really cute 5 month old male orange tabby at a local rescue. Super sweet and super purry. He was with his 3 litter mates and all 4 were having some diarrhea/gastro issues. they were being treated for a suspected parasite so I pre-adopted him thinking after a few more days of antibiotics that he would be ready to come home. Unfortunately that was not the case. The diarrhea did not resolve so they were vet checked again at the end of last week and a fecal was sent off for analysis. They were not showing any other symptoms - eating fine, drinking fine, playing like typical kittens.
Today the results of the fecal came back - they have all tested positive for the corona virus
. So now they are on a course of metro to try and get the diarrhea under control - since all you can do is treat the related symptoms while you wait for the virus to run it's course. Still eating like pigs and acting like normal kittens.
so here is my question/dilemma... should I still bring this kitten home (once the diarrhea has resolved of course)??
From my research I know that estimates are upwards of 80% of shelter cats have been exposed to the corona virus - so the chances are very high that Casey has been exposed at some point in his life - he was a shelter cat as were both of his brothers. I know that in a small percentage of cats corona can mutate into FIP but it's very rare and it usually doesn't turn to FIP in older cats. Casey is in very good health, no underlying medical conditions. He's only ever been to the vet for a ripped claw and dental issues when he had an infected canine that had to be removed.
I talked to my vet and he doesn't seem very concerned about the corona or the potential for the kitten to pass it to Casey. he is the most experienced vet at the practice and has won numerous awards. He figures that the chances that Casey hasn't already been exposed to corona are very low so it should not b-e an issue - and even if Casey hasn't been exposed corona typically causes a few days of gastro issues that resolve themselves without intervention or meds. He likened it to sending your kid to daycare - they are going to share germs with the other kids but the likelihood is it won't turn into anything serious. the vet says he would be more worried about the chance that they won't get along than the corona virus.
Thoughts?? What would you do??
I have finally decided that it is time to get Casey a friend. He has been very lonely since becoming an only cat and I can't quit my job to stay home with him 24-7
. So just over a week ago I went looking for a new kitten - 5-6 months old and male were the general requirements. Personality was a big consideration.I found a really cute 5 month old male orange tabby at a local rescue. Super sweet and super purry. He was with his 3 litter mates and all 4 were having some diarrhea/gastro issues. they were being treated for a suspected parasite so I pre-adopted him thinking after a few more days of antibiotics that he would be ready to come home. Unfortunately that was not the case. The diarrhea did not resolve so they were vet checked again at the end of last week and a fecal was sent off for analysis. They were not showing any other symptoms - eating fine, drinking fine, playing like typical kittens.
Today the results of the fecal came back - they have all tested positive for the corona virus
. So now they are on a course of metro to try and get the diarrhea under control - since all you can do is treat the related symptoms while you wait for the virus to run it's course. Still eating like pigs and acting like normal kittens.so here is my question/dilemma... should I still bring this kitten home (once the diarrhea has resolved of course)??
From my research I know that estimates are upwards of 80% of shelter cats have been exposed to the corona virus - so the chances are very high that Casey has been exposed at some point in his life - he was a shelter cat as were both of his brothers. I know that in a small percentage of cats corona can mutate into FIP but it's very rare and it usually doesn't turn to FIP in older cats. Casey is in very good health, no underlying medical conditions. He's only ever been to the vet for a ripped claw and dental issues when he had an infected canine that had to be removed.
I talked to my vet and he doesn't seem very concerned about the corona or the potential for the kitten to pass it to Casey. he is the most experienced vet at the practice and has won numerous awards. He figures that the chances that Casey hasn't already been exposed to corona are very low so it should not b-e an issue - and even if Casey hasn't been exposed corona typically causes a few days of gastro issues that resolve themselves without intervention or meds. He likened it to sending your kid to daycare - they are going to share germs with the other kids but the likelihood is it won't turn into anything serious. the vet says he would be more worried about the chance that they won't get along than the corona virus.
Thoughts?? What would you do??
Most shelter cats have Corona, did Casey have corona when you rescued him?
