Kitten Diseases
Understanding Common Feline Diseases: What Every Cat Owner Should Know
At Stonebrook Family Pet Clinic, we believe education is a vital part of keeping your cat happy and healthy. Below are six common but serious feline diseases we want you to be aware of—what they are, how they spread, and how we can help protect your pet.
1. Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
What it is: A rare but serious viral disease caused by a type of feline coronavirus. It doesn’t affect dogs or people.
Who’s at risk: Mostly young cats, senior cats, or cats in catteries/shelters.
What it does: FIP causes long-term illness, including weight loss, poor appetite, fever, and fluid buildup in the chest or abdomen. Depending on which organs are affected, signs may include jaundice, blindness, or seizures.
Diagnosis & outlook: FIP is difficult to diagnose. Even indoor cats with no known exposure can develop it if a common feline coronavirus mutates. Sadly, it’s almost always fatal, and there is no reliable vaccine.
2. Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
What it is: A virus spread through saliva, urine, and feces—most often through grooming, sharing bowls, or bites.
What it does: It weakens the immune system, making it harder for your cat to fight off other infections.
Testing: We offer an in-clinic blood test. If it’s positive, we may recommend retesting in 8 weeks and sending out a more advanced test to check for infection in the bone marrow.
Prevention: We recommend FeLV vaccines for outdoor cats. It’s best to test any new cat before introducing them to your home.
Note: FeLV is not contagious to dogs or humans.
3. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
What it is: Often called “Feline AIDS,” FIV is passed primarily through bite wounds from infected cats.
What it does: Like FeLV, it weakens the immune system. Infected cats may not show signs for years but can eventually develop chronic illness.
Testing: We can detect FIV with a blood test. For kittens who test positive, we wait until 7 months of age to confirm results.
Vaccine info: We do not recommend FIV vaccination. It can interfere with testing and doesn’t protect against the most common strains.
The good news: Many FIV-positive cats live long lives, especially if kept indoors and out of fights.
4. Feline Panleukopenia (Feline Distemper)
What it is: A highly contagious and often deadly virus, especially in kittens. It’s similar to canine parvovirus.
What it does: It attacks the immune system, causing fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and depression.
Prevention: Vaccination is key. We vaccinate kittens at 8, 11, and 14 weeks with boosters tailored to their lifestyle.
5. Feline Respiratory Infections
What they are: Includes rhinotracheitis (feline herpesvirus), calicivirus, and chlamydia. These are common and highly contagious.
How they spread: Through sneezing, coughing, or shared items like bowls and bedding.
Symptoms: Sneezing, eye or nose discharge, and sometimes eye infections or ulcers.
Prevention: We vaccinate kittens at 8, 11, and 14 weeks. Adult boosters are based on lifestyle. If your cat is sneezing before boarding, let us know—we can make special arrangements to protect others.
6. Rabies
What it is: A fatal virus that affects the brain and nervous system. It spreads through the bite of infected animals like raccoons, skunks, or bats.
Why it matters: Rabies can infect any warm-blooded animal—including people—and is 100% fatal once symptoms appear.
Prevention: We vaccinate kittens at 4 months and give boosters based on your pet’s needs.
Exposure: If your vaccinated pet is bitten, they should be revaccinated and quarantined for 45 days. If unvaccinated, quarantine is 6 months—or euthanasia may be required for testing.
🐾 Final Thoughts
Many of these diseases can be prevented or managed with regular testing, vaccinations, and thoughtful care. If you have questions about any of these illnesses or your cat’s vaccination schedule, we’re always here to help.
📞 Call us today to schedule your cat’s next wellness visit or vaccine check!
📧 Email: SFPC@StonebrookFamilyPet.com
🌐 Website: www.stonebrookfamilypet.com
