I recently had a cat pass away so my wife and I went and rescued a new kitten that was 5 months old. We already had 3 other cats at home so kept them separated. We took him in monday for bloodwork and results came back yesterday that he has the Corona Virus. He also has a tocidia parasite in stool and has some eye irritation most likely from Herpes virus which flared up after vet appointment. We are giving him medicine for eye and parasite but we dont know what to do about the Corona Virus. We have no way of knowing if its FIP or if someday it will become FIP and none of our other cats have been tested for it. We are worried if we put them together they could all get it and increase chances one of our cats will get FIP. Our other cats are 4, 4, and 9. What do we do?? All other cats recently had bloodwork and are healthy but didnt test for Corona.
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Need Help, New Kitten Has Corona Virus.. What Do I Do?
- Thread starter catdawg23
- Start Date
Were your other 3 cats strays or shelter cats? If so, there is a huge possibility that they already have the corona virus. Even if they weren't, there is still a good chance they have it. You can get them tested, just so you know.
Even if they do, there is nothing that says any of them will have the virus mutate to FIP. Most cats that have it live long healthy lives without any sign of FIP.
My first cat was a stray, but was never tested for corona. At 15+ he became ill, and my vet said he likely had corona from when he was a kitten, and his age weakened his immune system enough to activate the virus. In between when I got him around 6 mos old and when FIP became active, he was a pretty healthy cat - albeit some mysterious tooth loss (never stopped him from eating though).
Hope your new kitten's issues are gone soon!!
Even if they do, there is nothing that says any of them will have the virus mutate to FIP. Most cats that have it live long healthy lives without any sign of FIP.
My first cat was a stray, but was never tested for corona. At 15+ he became ill, and my vet said he likely had corona from when he was a kitten, and his age weakened his immune system enough to activate the virus. In between when I got him around 6 mos old and when FIP became active, he was a pretty healthy cat - albeit some mysterious tooth loss (never stopped him from eating though).
Hope your new kitten's issues are gone soon!!
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- #3
2 were from humane society and 1 from a family member. The one from the family member had been around 2 other cats when younger for a couple years and then all 3 were around our older 11 year old cat before he passed from heart disease a month ago. I just dont want to make the wrong decision that could create a death sentance for any of them.
As I said in the other post - if you have no records of the other cats being tested for it (especially the ones from the Humane Society), get them tested. Obviously, if none of them have it now, and the vet thinks even at their ages they are likely to contract it from the kitten, you know what you want to do...
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- #5
Yeah I think your right, I will have to test them and see if they have it and if they dont I will keep them separate and have the kitten retested in a couple months and if he still has it I will have to find him a home.
Let us know, will you?
Coronavirus is extremely common, in fact statistics say just about all cats will have been exposed to the virus in their lives.
If your 2 of the 3 were from the Humane Society they likely have already been exposed to corona.
FIP is a mutation of corona, and is not contagious, it is an individual cat's system and whether the virus simply passes through the system or hides it away and later becomes FIP.
FIP mostly hits kittens between 4-8 months and as late as 18 months/2 yrs.
Your cats ages make it extremely unlikely for coronavirus if not exposed already, turning in to FIP.
If your 2 of the 3 were from the Humane Society they likely have already been exposed to corona.
FIP is a mutation of corona, and is not contagious, it is an individual cat's system and whether the virus simply passes through the system or hides it away and later becomes FIP.
FIP mostly hits kittens between 4-8 months and as late as 18 months/2 yrs.
Your cats ages make it extremely unlikely for coronavirus if not exposed already, turning in to FIP.
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- #8
I have read it is very common and odds are the other cats have been exposed. What I fear is that if hypothetically the two from the shelter had it then shedded it before we got the other one that is 9 now and that one gets it and it turns into FIP.
He may have already had exposure as well by this age.
Although not impossible, it is very uncommon for an older cat to get fip, and would tend to happen when the immune system weakens with age.
I don't know the exact percentage, but in my experience over the years, I'd guess about 95% of fip cases are all with cats under 2 yrs old.
It's your call of course, I just didn't want you to worry needlessly.
I have had several fosters in my rescue group find out one of their fosters has fip, none of the other foster cats ever got it.
Although not impossible, it is very uncommon for an older cat to get fip, and would tend to happen when the immune system weakens with age.
I don't know the exact percentage, but in my experience over the years, I'd guess about 95% of fip cases are all with cats under 2 yrs old.
It's your call of course, I just didn't want you to worry needlessly.
I have had several fosters in my rescue group find out one of their fosters has fip, none of the other foster cats ever got it.
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- #10
Corona virus is so common (40% or more of cats have it) that most people don't have their cats tested for it unless they're planning to have them vaccinated against FIP. That inoculation is rather ineffective, so a lot of vets advise against it.
It's a mutated form of the virus that causes FIP, usually in kittens or seniors with weak immune systems. Even if the virus mutates, only a small percentage of the kittens/cats infected with it will develop FIP.
It's a mutated form of the virus that causes FIP, usually in kittens or seniors with weak immune systems. Even if the virus mutates, only a small percentage of the kittens/cats infected with it will develop FIP.
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- #12
