My cat has FIP. Should I still vaccinate him after 7 months alive?

I would tend to agree with your vet. FIV positive cats do not have a normal immune system, so vaccinating them may not be effective regardless and the vaccine itself can sometimes cause unwanted reactions. If Mikel's life-style is low-risk (indoor only, no new cats added recently to the household), I would not recommend vaccinating him as the downsides probably outweigh the benefits for him.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for FIP and if your cat is suffering then euthanasia is the best option. I'm so sorry you're having to go through this and make this decision. I wish there was more we could recommend for you but I think you're a vet has your cats best interest at heart.

FIV and FeLV are two separate conditions. The main reason I recommend and FeLV vaccine is only for cats that will be spending time outside. If you have an FIV positive cat, it is not recommended that he spend any time outside at all since he will be at risk of spreading his disease to other animals. That being said, if he will be indoor only, it is probably not necessary unless you have other cats inside your house that might be exposed to FeLV.

I'm sorry to hear that! FIP is a nasty disease in cats, so I definitely understand your worry. I will try to answer your questions and give you some basic information about how this disease works - it's a bit more complicated than most other infectious diseases! FIP is caused by a coronavirus - coronaviruses themselves are extremely common in cats, and almost all kittens are exposed to them at some point. In a very few cats, the virus mutates into a much more dangerous form and causes FIP - this seems to be partly related to genetics, but it's not fully understood why this happens in some cats but not others. So although the coronavirus can be passed from cat to cat, FIP is not really considered to be a contagious disease because most cats who are exposed to a coronavirus will never develop the more dangerous, mutated form that leads to FIP. So, the bottom line is that your kitten will probably be just fine. There isn't much you can do at this point, since there is no diagnostic test for FIP. Although a vaccine does exist, it isn't recommended by the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) because it hasn't been shown to be effective and can actually cause illness in some cases. I would recommend preventing your kitten from having any further contact with your friend's cat to be on the safe side, and monitoring your kitty for any signs of a problem - but it's very likely that she will be just fine :)

Unfortunately FIP has a grave prognosis. Some cats only survive a few days to weeks after their diagnoses, others a couple of months. It is not contagious so you shouldn't have to separate the two cats in less the healthy cat is preventing Parker from getting to food/water/litter box. In fact separating them could cause other issues such as urinating outside the litter box, excessive vocalization and aggression toward each other if they are re-introduced.

I'm sorry to hear that you lost a cat to FIP. It certainly is a devastating disease. Unfortunately, there isn't a simple answer to your question. Since we never know which cat's bodies will transform FeCoV into FIP, we have no way of protecting those cats. Most cats have been exposed to FeCoV. So, a new cat that you adopt may already have FeCoV. And your cats may have cleared their FeCoV infection, so they may not have anything to pass along. I am attaching a handout with more information about FIP and FeCoV below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951549 I wish there was a simple answer to your question, but this is a very complicated disease and unfortunately, we simply don't know enough to answer your question. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

So FIP is technically from a virus, however, most cats are exposed at some point in their life (especially if from a cattery or shelter). However, only a select few will mutate to become FIP. We don’t know why this happens, or how to prevent it. Could it happen again? Yes. But very unlikely. I have been a veterinarian for 11 years and have only had 1 FIP kitten patient. I know it’s easier said then done to not worry. Sometimes I find it helpful to give myself some grieving time and my worries seem to be less the more “ready” I am for a new Pet. I’m so sorry about your kitten, and I hope your new addition is spunky and healthy for many many years!! Thank you for using Pet Coach.