Fip - Someone Calm Me Down Please

[mozzicat]

Hello lovely people,

I adopted a cat from a shelter this February. He used to be a street cat and was rescued last May. Now at the shelter they told me that he has the coronavirus. I didn’t really know what it was, I have only ever raised dogs. At the shelter they told me that unless their immune system becomes weak, cats would show no symptoms. I brought him home, everything was fine until I found out that in 5-10% of cats with coronavirus the virus mutates and causes FIP. I am now constantly extremely paranoid every time he displays even the slightest change in health that that might be it. Even when everything is perfectly fine I keep worrying about him getting FIP one day and dying and it’s making me very depressed. I don’t know what advice I’m looking for, I guess I just want to hear that he’s going to be alright and that him sneezing doesn’t mean he’s going to die.

Thank you for reading

 

[MissClouseau]

I'm in a similar boat. I have also always had dogs until Hima and learned about coronavirus and FIP only this January when Hima was hospitalized and the vet not only suspected of FIP but even saw as the most likely option. One of the worst weeks of my life. She changed her opinion when Hima responded to antibiotics. But I've been super anxious since. (I have anxiety disorder that is the worst about loved ones' health so, you know, this was definitely a major trigger!)

That much I can tell you, and this is also something I try to remind myself. I live in Istanbul where there are stray cats everywhere, including our condominium. Some of them have lived here for years now. They are getting fed by me and my neighbors and given antibiotics when they get sick. The chances are all these cats either have coronavirus, or FIV, or herpes -- something they live with that puts them in risk, technically.

While this is obviously something, it isn't very different than say a person living with anemia or stomach ulcers. It can turn into cancer but the odds are it won't, especially in a certain age group. And with corona the FIP mutation is even less likely if the cat is older than 2 but younger than senior years. Most cats who got diagnosed with FIP are either younger and their immune system is still "programming" itself so to speak, or they are senior cats.

 

[mozzicat]

I'm in a similar boat. I have also always had dogs until Hima and learned about coronavirus and FIP only this January when Hima was hospitalized and the vet not only suspected of FIP but even saw as the most likely option. One of the worst weeks of my life. She changed her opinion when Hima responded to antibiotics. But I've been super anxious since. (I have anxiety disorder that is the worst about loved ones' health so, you know, this was definitely a major trigger!)

That much I can tell you, and this is also something I try to remind myself. I live in Istanbul where there are stray cats everywhere, including our condominium. Some of them have lived here for years now. They are getting fed by me and my neighbors and given antibiotics when they get sick. The chances are all these cats either have coronavirus, or FIV, or herpes -- something they live with that puts them in risk, technically.

While this is obviously something, it isn't very different than say a person living with anemia or stomach ulcers. It can turn into cancer but the odds are it won't, especially in a certain age group. And with corona the FIP mutation is even less likely if the cat is older than 2 but younger than senior years. Most cats who got diagnosed with FIP are either younger and their immune system is still "programming" itself so to speak, or they are senior cats.

Thank you so much for sharing. I always try to remember that most street cats and lots of cats living in a household with other cats are at risk of developing FIP, so I don’t feel so alone in this. I hope our furry friends stay healthy!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi there! How old is your cat? As MissClouseau said, in most cases once a cat reaches 2-3 yo their immune systems are generally strong enough to ward off the corona virus from mutating to FIP, if/when another illness strikes. And, yes, once they reach geriatric stage - just like humans - their immune systems do weaken and might allow for mutation. However, even then, it is typically another illness that has cropped up, further weakening their immunity that causes it - not the corona virus itself.

In reality, a very large majority of cats have the corona virus, and from all the reading/research I have done, the percentage of those who have it mutate to FIP is much less what you quoted above (1 in 5,000 cats that live in a 1 or 2 cat household). The higher percentage I believe is more applicable to kittens whose immune response cannot ward off the mutation upon infection of the corona virus.

My cat, Tawny, died of FIP at 15 yo - but, the vet believes it was another illness he had contracted that actually caused his corona virus to mutate.

Annual check ups, routine vaccinations as needed, and keeping your cat indoors are the best ways to ensure your cat stays as healthy as possible and will go along way to securing a long, happy life for your buddy!

 

[MissClouseau]

Annual check ups, routine vaccinations as needed, and keeping your cat indoors are the best ways to ensure your cat stays as healthy as possible and will go along way to securing a long, happy life for your buddy!

That's not always true except for annual check ups. Hima's vet for example didn't find her eligible for vaccination this year and nobody here asks me to keep her indoors - she gets way too depressed without going outside as she grew up as a stray cat and is use to being indoors. They usually make a pros-cons calculation individually and based on location when the cat has anything about immune system like FcOV or FIV.

 

[mozzicat]

Hi there! How old is your cat? As MissClouseau said, in most cases once a cat reaches 2-3 yo their immune systems are generally strong enough to ward off the corona virus from mutating to FIP, if/when another illness strikes. And, yes, once they reach geriatric stage - just like humans - their immune systems do weaken and might allow for mutation. However, even then, it is typically another illness that has cropped up, further weakening their immunity that causes it - not the corona virus itself.

In reality, a very large majority of cats have the corona virus, and from all the reading/research I have done, the percentage of those who have it mutate to FIP is much less what you quoted above (1 in 5,000 cats that live in a 1 or 2 cat household). The higher percentage I believe is more applicable to kittens whose immune response cannot ward off the mutation upon infection of the corona virus.

My cat, Tawny, died of FIP at 15 yo - but, the vet believes it was another illness he had contracted that actually caused his corona virus to mutate.

Annual check ups, routine vaccinations as needed, and keeping your cat indoors are the best ways to ensure your cat stays as healthy as possible and will go along way to securing a long, happy life for your buddy!

Oh okay thank you, that is good to know! The shelter estimated him to be 1-2 years old when he was rescued, so he was definitely older than a year when he contracted the corona virus at the shelter. My cat is strictly an indoor cat, so I’m hoping this will shield him from as many diseases and stress as possible

 

[FeebysOwner]

MissClouseau - I am merely suggesting the most reliable ways to help prevent exposure to diseases and other illnesses. I never said anything is 'absolute', so your 'not always true' remark is valid to most any statement made by any of us, including you.

However, an indoor cat will ALWAYS be less exposed to diseases and illnesses, and other potential harms.

As far as vaccinations, please note what I actually said:

routine vaccinations as needed

The purpose of this site is to offer opinions/suggestions to the OPs - not to dispute other posters' comments just because you don't necessarily agree with them.

 

[MissClouseau]

The purpose of this site is to offer opinions/suggestions to the OPs - not to dispute other posters' comments just because you don't necessarily agree with them

What did I say wrong? I shared my experience with what the vets do and say about a cat, mine, who has coronavirus. Isn’t this valuable for the topic?

 

[FeebysOwner]

That's not always true except for annual check ups.

This is the comment to which I was referring.

 

[MissClouseau]

I believe this is the comment to which I was referring.

Yes but there is zero aggression there or anything. You wrote “...routine vaccinations as needed, and keeping your cat indoors are the best ways to keep your cat healthy..” but that’s not true for all cats with FcOV (as it’s not with Hima) and may not be true for the OP’s cat. I know you are trying to help. So am I. You know corona-FIP are not totally understood by science we should all change our experience and discuss IMO :-)

 

[Noirele]

Hello!
Like others said, if your cat is 1 year old or even older, he should be fine.
And it's true: around 5% of cats with FcOV develop FIP, but the percentage is high in catteries and crowded spaces, and it's a lot lower in single cat households (or less than 5 cats). Also, experts say that if the cat got the infection more than a year before, it's unlikely he would develop FIP now. And remember than most cats do heal from FcOV infection, unless they live in multicat households where the virus continues to be shed and re-infects them. Around 30% of cats are cronic carriers.

 

[FeebysOwner]

mozzicat - sorry we kind of derailed your thread. My apologies. The bottom line is we hope to have quelled your concerns!!

Is your baby in your avatar? And his name is - mozzi (uh, maybe a 'duh' question)???

 

[mozzicat]

Hello!
Like others said, if your cat is 1 year old or even older, he should be fine.
And it's true: around 5% of cats with FcOV develop FIP, but the percentage is high in catteries and crowded spaces, and it's a lot lower in single cat households (or less than 5 cats). Also, experts say that if the cat got the infection more than a year before, it's unlikely he would develop FIP now. And remember than most cats do heal from FcOV infection, unless they live in multicat households where the virus continues to be shed and re-infects them. Around 30% of cats are cronic carriers.

Thank you!! That is good to hear

 

[mozzicat]

mozzicat - sorry we kind of derailed your thread. My apologies. The bottom line is we hope to have quelled your concerns!!

Is your baby in your avatar? And his name is - mozzi (uh, maybe a 'duh' question)???

Haha no problem, thank you for your kind words, it really made me feel a lot better

Yep that’s him his name is 흑이 - i think the best way to spell it in english would be hyg-e? I’m living in Korea and that’s the name they gave him at the shelter, it’s equivalent to ‘blacky’

 

[FeebysOwner]

Thanks! He is a cutie!!!