So Punky's diarrhea was feline corona virus - now what?

[Molly and Abby]

Hi everyone:

I posted my tale of woe regarding giving Punky Flagyl for the diarrhea he was experiencing. His stools were soooo smelly & I was concerned.

Punky is the friendly homeless kitty who followed my neighbor's cats to my door a year ago looking for a meal. Six month's later, I decided to get him fully vaccinated & neutered - I wasn't sure if he would be an indoor kitty. But he tested negative for feline leukemia & didn't have it - so I thought, good news!

Now I feel confused & guilty.

Because the vet called me about the results of the diarrhea PCR panel & Punky tested positive for feline corona virus (yes, I know it's not the same as the human corona virus).

So - now what? From my reading, there's no treatment & it's contagious.

Will my other cats get this? Do they already have it? What about Molly - if she has lymphoma & has to be on chemotherapy, will her immune system be compromised?

I love Punky but I am beginning to regret adopting him.

 

[Jcatbird]

I read up a bit on this. I am not a vet so you need to consult your vet about your concerns. Upon reading, it seems that there is a chance your cat can fight this off. Some become carriers, some get rid of it and some become ill. The current symptoms could pass. I suggest you read both of these articlesand discuss ithem with your vet. I have an Felv cat and many other kitties. I manage to balance giving him a good life and still keep him apart from my FIV cat as needed. The main this with them is not sharing food, water or litter boxes. My Felv cat has his own room and I spend bedtime with him to give him quality time. He has time out to other places when I put up all things that could cross contaminate. You should ask the experts about this. I hope you can find a way to balance this out of that your kitty will rid himself of the virus completely.
Transmission of Feline Coronavirus

Feline Infectious Peritonitis

I hope you don’t regret saving this kitty. You did a great thing!! If you find that kitty is persistently ill and cannot eject the virus, maybe you can find a home for him without other cats present. Every kitty deserves the kind of love and comfort you have given this fur baby. If nothing else, you can do as I have done and isolate this kitty in his own sanctuary within your home. You have my deepest gratitude for rescuing him. Don’t give up!

 

[Molly and Abby]

Thank you for your response.

My home isn't large enough to give Punky his own room, unfortunately. It is very small & he would be miserable. He would have to become an outdoor-only kitty (which he was until six months. ago). I did TNR for the neighborhood feral cats & I still have the Kitty Tube & Kitty Igloo with heating pads. It's not ideal, but I have to protect Molly. If she has to undergo chemo, I can't risk her health.

Of course, I have calls in to the respective vets on this dilemma.

 

[Jcatbird]

There might be another option if he is shedding the virus. ( maybe he won’t) A catio would keep him protected and provide a safer environment where you can give him undivided attention and access him whenever he needs you. Some cations are very inexpensive and can be put next to a window where he can still feel he is a part of all activities without being a risk to Molly. I have a couple of cations here and I just went through having a kitty that was sick. It sort of expands your home without being permanent but allows closer observation of the kitty that occupies the space. I even put one catio up inside my house. It takes minimal floor space but gives three levels of space inside. Perfect for one cat. It could be adapted to your needs too. I put screen and clear plastic over the hardware cloth on one to protect the cat inside from any insects, snakes or bad weather. That could be done inside to protect both kitties. Hopefully none of this will be needed though. Hoping the virus will be beaten by his immune system now that he is getting regular meals, love and great care.

 

[Molly and Abby]

I live in a one-story townhouse (small) and I cannot modify the structure, so I don't see that as a possibility (darn).

But thank you for your suggestion.

Once I hear back from my vets, I'll have more info to make a decision.

 

[Molly and Abby]

There might be another option if he is shedding the virus. ( maybe he won’t) A catio would keep him protected and provide a safer environment where you can give him undivided attention and access him whenever he needs you. Some cations are very inexpensive and can be put next to a window where he can still feel he is a part of all activities without being a risk to Molly. I have a couple of cations here and I just went through having a kitty that was sick. It sort of expands your home without being permanent but allows closer observation of the kitty that occupies the space. I even put one catio up inside my house. It takes minimal floor space but gives three levels of space inside. Perfect for one cat. It could be adapted to your needs too. I put screen and clear plastic over the hardware cloth on one to protect the cat inside from any insects, snakes or bad weather. That could be done inside to protect both kitties. Hopefully none of this will be needed though. Hoping the virus will be beaten by his immune system now that he is getting regular meals, love and great care.

Thank you for your helpful responses. But if Molly does have lymphoma & needs chemotherapy, she becomes my priority. Not Punky.

And Punky will be an outdoor only cat. He'll still get meals, love & parasite control - but I cannot risk Molly's health.

It is not an ideal situation. But it may be the option to protect Molly.

 

[FeebysOwner]

At least 80% of all cats will test positive, meaning they have the virus antibodies in their system, most particularly if they were ever in a multi cat environment. And, less than 5-10% will ever have the virus mutate to FIP. While not absolute, the virus usually mutates in kittens younger than 2 yo due to an immature immune system, or in elderly cats as the result of other diseases that cause suppression of the immune system. Although not distinguishable in a fecal PCR test, there is a form of corona virus that is less virulent (FecV), meaning that it will likely not mutate to FIP under any circumstances. This information is based on all the data I have read over the years.

I guess what I am saying is if you have Molly tested and she is positive, then there is not much in the way of concern for her to be around Punky. Same goes for your other cats as well.

 

[Molly and Abby]

Thank you so much for the detailed information. Punky was 1-1/2 to 2 years old, so he could fit in that "kitten" range.

I have calls into my vets. I really need Molly's specialty vet to contact my cats' primary vet & discuss how best to proceed.

 

[beckbjj]

Almost all cats carry feline coronavirus if they've been around other cats. Typically they'll be ill for a short time and then no more symptoms, but they carry it. So if, for example, Molly came from a shelter, or another place with lots of cats (even a breeder), chances are she carries it too. Developing FIP from it is fairly uncommon. Probably wouldn't hurt to have her tested just to see though.

 

[Molly and Abby]

Thank you! I will inquire about this with the vets.

 

[Molly and Abby]

Almost all cats carry feline coronavirus if they've been around other cats. Typically they'll be ill for a short time and then no more symptoms, but they carry it. So if, for example, Molly came from a shelter, or another place with lots of cats (even a breeder), chances are she carries it too. Developing FIP from it is fairly uncommon. Probably wouldn't hurt to have her tested just to see though.

So the results of Molly's cytology are in & it doesn't appear she has lymphoma but they're not sure what she has. Vet is out of the office until July 26th, when she'll give me more info.

So, I wait. And I don't need to separate Punky from the household after all (I asked vet tech).

 

[stephanietx]

There is a treatment for FIP, but it's expensive. It shows very promising results.

 

[beckbjj]

Thankfully, FIP isn't the problem here, but it's true there is a black market treatment available for it that really works. But costs thousands of dollars, some of the vendors are pretty sketchy, and it has to arrive from overseas in time for it to work. I'm furious with drug manufacturers for not developing this into a treatment legally available in the U.S.

 

[Meowmee]

Feline corona virus FCoV is very common from what I understand. Most cats have been exposed at some point in their lives and they easily fight it off. Maybe your kitties already had it? Maybe you can test for antibodies.

It is not the same as fip which is a deadly mutation of feline corona virus, which is not contagious and which no one knows when it may strike or why it happens. That only happens in 10% of cases apparently with cats who have a worse case of FCoV. I thought it was less.

I would still be cautious and separate him until he recovers and then if dvm thinks he could still shed it try to decide what to do then. I hope you can still keep him or if you feel not, then find him a good home.

 

[Molly and Abby]

Feline corona virus FCoV is very common from what I understand. Most cats have been exposed at some point in their lives and they easily fight it off. Maybe your kitties already had it? Maybe you can test for antibodies.

It is not the same as fip which is a deadly mutation of feline corona virus, which is not contagious and which no one knows when it may strike or why it happens. That only happens in 10% of cases apparently with cats who have a worse case of FCoV. I thought it was less.

I would still be cautious and separate him until he recovers and then if dvm thinks he could still shed it try to decide what to do then. I hope you can still keep him or if you feel not, then find him a good home.

Separation is impossible (as I have previously explained the reasons why - unless he is an outdoor only cat). I did call the specialty vet & she said the other cats have already been exposed. Molly doesn't have lymphoma but they don't know what is going on. Specialty Vet said not to make him an outdoor only cat. I take Punky to his regular vet for blood tests early next week.

 

[aleeming]

A positive test for coronavirus means very little. For most cats it is no big deal and many are exposed, get a couple days of diarrhea and you never know they even had it. I would only worry if you had young kittens because they seem to be the most likely to have it mutate in them and go to FIP. There also seems to be a genetic component as litter mates (even adopted separately) seem more likely to get it if one does.

I foster and have had a kitten get FIP. It is horrible, but I have also had many kittens come through my household (over 30 at least) and many "teenagers" and no one else has developed it as far as I know. Generally we hear from adopters if a cat gets sick later and all the folks I've been in touch with have not had any issues

I worry more about Giardia, coccidia, feline leukemia etc coming in my house than FIP. I would focus on keeping a clean litter box as much as possible rather than a coronavirus finding which is unlikely matter in the long run.

 

[Molly and Abby]

This info is so helpful - thank you! How many years is a teenager? I adopted Punky in January, which would make him about 18 - 19 months old back then.

 

[kittenmittens84]

This info is so helpful - thank you! How many years is a teenager? I adopted Punky in January, which would make him about 18 - 19 months old back then.

Did you adopt him from a shelter? If yes, it’s highly likely he’s already been exposed to FCOV. It’s endemic in shelters, catteries, multi-cat households, basically anywhere with multiple cats.

 

[Molly and Abby]

No, I didn't adopt him from a shelter. He was a friendly homeless kitty that followed the neighborhood cats to my door for a meal about a year ago. He wasn't feral - just homeless. So I don't know much about his background.