Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in Cats | Cat Care, Breeds and Resources Blog

A good friend, who is the local feral cats and abandoned cats “home” in his neighborhood has had 12 cats suddenly die in the last 2 weeks. Some were his, others were from neighbors a couple of blocks down.

First they noticed raccoons seem to be disappearing — or not appearing, as they usually were — then some of the cats disappeared. Next he started finding cats dead or dying but did not know why.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is one of the diseases that they are looking at as the killer of his cats.

What is FIP?
FIP is a viral disease that can affect many body systems and is a progressive disease that is almost always fatal. It is found in both domestic cats and big cats (cheetahs, cougars, bobcats, lynx, lions).

It is caused by a virus — feline coronavirus (FCoV) and there are 2 forms that this virus can take:
1. FECV — this virus does not cause disease; usually only a mild case of diarrhea.
2. FIPV — this virus causes disease when it mutates into FIPV in the cat when it starts to replicate in the cat’s body.

How is FIP Transmitted?
The virus can be transmitted through saliva and feces of infected cats. Although litter boxes are the most common mode of infection, other sources include contaminated food and water dishes, bedding and even personal clothing.

Can a Cat Survive FIP?
Depending on the cat’s health, some can survive. If a cat’s cellular immunity is very strong, it could survive; moderately strong, it might not be able to keep it in check, then it could develop into FIP; a weak immunity would allow the FIP to grow “dry FIP” nodular lesions throughout it’s body; in a weak immune system, the virus would multiply uncontrolled and develop a “wet” form of FIP.

What Are The Signs Of The Disease?
Weight loss, fever, loss of appetite and lethargy. There could be nodular lesions (granulomas), disorientation, loss of balance, tremors, convulsions, behavior changes and urinary incontinence.

Is There A Cure For FIP?
There is no cure for FIP. Very few cats survive the disease. Cats with the dry form live longer than those with the wet form because the disease progresses slower.

There is a vaccine to protect against FIP called Primucell which is for cats over the age of 16 weeks of age. It is found to be about 50-75% effective.

If your cat shows any of these signs, take them to your vet immediately. Also, sanitize all of the food and water dishes, bedding, and anything else the cat has been around.

For a in-depth report on FIP, click FIP

This Is Gypsy

Purrs, Frankie

It’s me, CoCo. Man, reading about FIP is pretty scary. I’m so glad my parents brought me in to live with them. I was a feral cat — I don’t like the sound of that either — and they adopted me and my sister, Snoball. Snoball has FIV, another not so good thing. However, something that she can live a very long time with. I’m glad, cause she’s pretty cool and I love playing with her. In fact, I’m in the mood for a tumble, so I’m gonna go jump her now. Later! CoCo

P.S. To get this blog emailed to you, simply type in your email address and press ’subscribe’ in the box on the right side of this blog.