Living with an FCV cat: Is it chronic? Can I get another cat?

Once a cat is exposed to calicivirus, it will go through an incubation period of 2-6 days before developing clinical signs which typically last for 14-21 days. During this entire time, the cat will potentially be infectious to other cats. At a minimum, infected cats will shed virus in their bodily secretions for 2-3 weeks. Following apparent recovery from the disease, as many as half of all infected cats may develop a carrier state in which they will continue to shed the virus. In some of these cats the carrier state may only last for a few months, but in a small percentage of cats the carrier state may persist for life. Carrier cats may or may not show any signs of infection when they are actively shedding calicivirus and serve as an important source of infection to susceptible cats. I would say it would not be safe for you to bring the kitten home for at least one month. I would also recommend re-vaccinating your old cat with the FVRCP vaccine if it has not been given in the last 6 months to boost his immunity.

If your cat isn't vaccinated against Calicivirus, then yes Kovu can get it. Make sure his vaccines are up to date, and should reduce the symptoms should your cat acquire the virus from this foster cat. How lovely of you to want to take this foster cat in!

I'm assuming that your cat has an upper respiratory virus like herpesvirus or calicivirus. It is fine to vaccinate cats who have been already infected, especially since this is typically a combination vaccine that covers other viruses as well. There is some evidence that the intranasal vaccine could lessen the severity of signs in a cat who is having an outbreak, but if your cat is already infected the vaccine will not cure him. If you introduced another cat and Frank became symptomatic again (i.e. sneezing, watery eyes or nasal discharge) the new cat could catch the disease. That being said, these viruses are extremely common and many kittens have been exposed even before they are vaccinated. If you are concerned you could always consider adopting an older cat who already has been vaccinated.

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is an undesirable situation to be in when adopting a new kitten. You did the right thing by leaving kitty there becuase upper respiratory infections are highly contagious. However, if your cats are up to date on their FVRCP vaccine, this greatly reduces the chances of them getting ill also. There is a small chance that the virus can survive on fomite objects, but typically it is spread through direct contact or through aerosolized droplets from oral secretions, similar to the flu or common cold. You can change your clothing just to be safe, before coming in contact with your cats and home and just wash your clothing as you normally would, and monitor your cats for any symptoms. However, like I said, there is a low chance of transmission this way. Upper respiratory infections are very common in cats, so once the kitty is free of illness, wait about 10 days before considering adopting him. He also should be up to date on his vaccinations. Once a cat gets infected, they are likely to get re-infected in the future and have upper airway issues as an adult. I hope this helps and best wishes with your prospect kitty. Take care.

I'm very sorry Mitzi isn't working out! Calicivirus typically lasts a week to 14 days in the environment, chlamydophila felis doesn't survive well in the environment and is easily killed, and microplasma felis does not survive long in the environment as well. You can get a new cat, but I would wait a couple of weeks to be sure. Be sure to thoroughly disinfect and clean all the cat items you have to prevent any chance of transmission of cat flu to your new cat.

It is true that Zara could spread calicivirus to another susceptible cat, but if your friend's cat is over one year old, then I would not worry about it. It is highly unlikely that a cat over a year will contract calicivirus, because most cats are naturally immune by that age. It is even less likely if your friend's cat has been vaccinated. If your friend's cat is under a year old, then it's possible that it could contract calicivirus from Zara, but it's not a given. Again, it will be less likely if the cat is vaccinated. If your friend's cat is a vaccinated kitten, then I would not be concerned about Zara giving it calicivirus. I hope that helps and all goes well for Zara.

Hello, thank you for your question about Cairo. Based on the symptoms that you are describing it sounds like Cairo is suffering from a bad upper respiratory infection. Viral upper respiratory infections (secondary to herpesvirus, calicivirus, etc) are not uncommon in cats adopted from a shelter. Flare ups of these infections are usually brought on by stressful situations, such as a recent environment change/shelter life, etc. If the infections become serious they often lead to secondary bacterial infections and possibly pneumonia. If it has not been done already I would recommend having chest x-rays to look for evidence of pneumonia. Additionally, I would recommend discussing a different antibiotic with your veterinarian. Convenia, is not routinely used for upper respiratory infections/pneumonia, and could be contributing to the progression of the symptoms. Hope this helps, good luck!