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I've just come back from the vet after a general health testing for my new shelter cat. She was positive for FCoV / coronavirus (negative for FeLV and FIV and everything else). The vet basically said that while externally she looks well, her immune system isn't strong. He said the coronavirus is in her gut (?). Right now though, her main issue is gum disease, which we are going to medicate for three weeks and see how she does. It's causing her to sneeze and not breathe well, and causing mouth pain. If she doesn't improve in a month, he recommended pulling all her teeth.
I asked about whether she is safe to introduce to my current cat. He reassured me several times and said yes, it is safe. He said most cats have coronavirus, especially shelter cats, and my current cat may have it as well, and that most easily fight it off if their immune systems are strong. And I asked specifically if new cat had FIP and he said no, but explained that there may be a small risk of it mutating to FIP in the future.
I admit I was a bit confused by all this - I've heard coronavirus is hugely contagious. I know FIP is deadly, even if she doesn't have that. Wouldn't this all be putting my current cat at the same risk? There is a slight language barrier, so I may have misunderstood what he was trying to say. Overall he was emphatic that it is perfectly safe to introduce them. My current cat had titer tests last year that showed her very healthy and strong, but I don't know if she carries FCoV.
This is the first visit with this vet. I like him a lot based on his thorough explanations and kind handling of my cat, and he came well-recommended by the shelter, but I don't have long-established trust in him so I wanted to hear from all your experiences as well. I want to trust him but I also want to be very careful. If I wasn't 100% thorough about this and something happened to my current cat, I would never ever forgive myself.
I asked about whether she is safe to introduce to my current cat. He reassured me several times and said yes, it is safe. He said most cats have coronavirus, especially shelter cats, and my current cat may have it as well, and that most easily fight it off if their immune systems are strong. And I asked specifically if new cat had FIP and he said no, but explained that there may be a small risk of it mutating to FIP in the future.
I admit I was a bit confused by all this - I've heard coronavirus is hugely contagious. I know FIP is deadly, even if she doesn't have that. Wouldn't this all be putting my current cat at the same risk? There is a slight language barrier, so I may have misunderstood what he was trying to say. Overall he was emphatic that it is perfectly safe to introduce them. My current cat had titer tests last year that showed her very healthy and strong, but I don't know if she carries FCoV.
This is the first visit with this vet. I like him a lot based on his thorough explanations and kind handling of my cat, and he came well-recommended by the shelter, but I don't have long-established trust in him so I wanted to hear from all your experiences as well. I want to trust him but I also want to be very careful. If I wasn't 100% thorough about this and something happened to my current cat, I would never ever forgive myself.