Fip In Cats Contagious To Other Cats

Feline infectious peritonitis FIP is an immune-mediated contagious viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of the feline coronavirus.

Fip in cats contagious to other cats. Feline infectious peritonitis FIP is a fatal disease suffered by cats and kittens. Unfortunately this initial benign infection may later mutate to cause FIP in some cats. Many cats that develop FIP have no history of contact with other cats showing clinical signs of FIP.

How Cats Get Feline Infectious Peritonitis. As time goes by infected cats may have more FIP symptoms that depend on the form of FIP. It is important to remember that FIP in cats is contagious to other felines although not infectious to humans or other animals.

The disease is progressive and eventually fatal. FIP is a serious disease with near 100 mortality no good test no good treatment and no good vaccine. In others the virus may cause inflammation affecting the brain eyes.

Although FIP is not highly contagious infected cats can transmit the virus through body fluids respiratory and oral secretions and feces. It is without a doubt the most dreaded infectious disease of cats. One of the complicated aspects of FIP is that while Feline Coronavirus FCoV is very common Feline Infectious Peritonitis is rare.

Thus we now know that the vast majority of cats do not catch FIP but they develop it themselves from their own mutant FECV. Infection occurs by inhalation or ingestion of the virus. One of my cats has been diagnosed with FIP should I isolate them from my other cats.

Although the I in FIP stands for infectious the syndrome usually does not spread from one cat to another. Of cats exposed to feline coronavirus only 5-10 of infected cats go on to develop FIP. It is also more common in cats from catteries and shelter where there is a large number of cats potentially shedding coronavirus which is necessary because it is what mutates.