Is it safe to adopt a cat with coronavirus if I have a healthy cat?

FIP is caused by a mutation of feline coronavirus and the disease itself is not contagious. Feline coronavirus is very contagious but in most cats will not cause symptoms or even will only cause mild diarrhea. Only 1-5% of cats with coronavirus will develop FIP. I think its fair to be cautious but the likelihood of your cat developing FIP is very low. If you prefer peace of mind then maybe consider helping your sister find another pet sitter.

Hello. Please do not worry about this. While coronavirus was cultured in the nose of a few dogs that lived in homes with infected people, they were, & stayed completely normal. Nothing has been described in cats. Just about every species has its own coronavirus unique to them. It is a very unique set of circumstances that PRESUMABLY allowed the virus to jump from animals in China to a human host, no worries about this happening in our pet community. So yes, the feline coronavirus can mutate to a virulent form that leads to FIP, but the thing to remember is this is an enteric, or gut virus, not a respiratory one that we are seeing in people. There is absolutely no connection between Covid-19 & the Feline Coronavirus. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) is a disease caused by a virus, and that virus can be passed from cat to cat. However, the virus must mutate inside the cat to actually cause disease, so very few cats that are exposed to FIP actually end up getting sick. Passing the virus between cats requires very close contact between the cats, so I think the chances are very low that your dog will drag the virus into the house.

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Great question. I personally would not be worried about your cats contracting FIP. The coronavirus is found in the saliva and feces of infected cats. Therefore, cat-to-cat contact and exposure to feces in litter boxes are the most common modes of infection. Contaminated food or water dishes, bedding, and your clothing may also serve as sources of infection. It doesn't sound like this is a concern based on your description of how you separated the cats, washed your hands, etc. The coronavirus can live in the environment anywhere from 3-7 weeks. After 3 weeks, however, the number of virus particles present is probably too small to cause infection. Many disinfectants will kill the virus, including household bleach diluted 1:32 in water (1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water). So, you may want to do a thorough cleaning of the area where you housed the kittens and it may be best for you to not get any foster kittens for at least a month to try to prevent the new ones from getting infected. Hope this answers your questions. Best wishes.

There is very little that can be done regarding limiting the spread but it is important to understand that FIP is a very special infection, it's a virus that goes through a transformation in a minority of cats only, the actual FIP virus is not transmissible, the original virus is coronavirus, most cats get it but will never transform it to FIP.

Feline coronavirus is a virus that typically causes mild gastrointestinal signs in cats or kittens. If the virus mutates, however, it can result in the deadly disease of FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). The virus is spread through either inhalation or ingestion of infected fecal matter. It sounds like your cat is infected. If so and your housekeeper is handling the litter box, she should change clothes before cleaning another home with cats present. The virus is relatively fragile and can be inactivated by most commercial cleaning products. Hope this helps!

Coronavirus is not a concern wth adult cats, but FIV/FeLV is. I would make sure she is tested for those diseases and is tested for parasites (internal and external) prior to introducing them. If all that checks out, and she is deemed healthy by a vet, then there is little chance of her giving anything to your indoor cats. I hope that helps and all is well with Little chick and the other two.