Feline Infectious Peritonitis

[xiankitty]

Hi,

I lost a kitten (8 months old) on Dec 18, 2007 to what was most certainly FIP. We did not perform a necropsy on her. I consulted two very experienced vets and all involved felt she had all of the classic FIP symptoms, including the grinding of teeth when eating soft food.
I would like to adopt a new kitten but have concerns. I have read and heard conflicting reports on whether the virus can remain alive outside of a cat. I have cleaned all the carpets, washed the floors with a heavy duty cleaner and have disposed of all blankets/toys/food bowls and litter boxes that were used with our old kitty.
Can anyone provide me with any information on whether or not it is safe to adopt another kitten at this time?
Any information/advise is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
B



"Saving one animal doesn't change the world - but it changes the world for that one animal"
~unknown

[oscar1]

I'm so sorry you lost a precious kitty to FIP.

You may like to join the following groups if you are looking for support and more resources on FIP:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FIPCatSupport/

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FIP/


Renata (Dr. Diane Addie's translator) just started a new FIP forum:

[moderator note: website address has been removed]


My Italian friend Lory has made a beautiful and very informative website about FIP:

[moderator note: website address has been removed]


Kind regards,

Marleen & Peter, meezers Philemon & Philomene (Belgium)
missing angel Oscar who died of neurological FIP in 2006

Angel Oscar's Catster page: [moderator note: website address has been removed]

[Bonnie C]

We had two cats, both of whom died from FIP, we believe. After the second cat died, we cleaned the carpets, disinfected the bowls and litter boxes and cleaned the house as best as we knew how. We waited 4 weeks before getting another kitty (in July 2007.) By Christmas 2007, we noticed that she was not right and acted very much like our 2 previous cats. She had a fever that would not go away, she wouldn't eat, her balance we off, she was losing her fur. The vet felt sure she had FIP as well. We decided to put her down. I can never forgive myself for exposing her to this virus. I don't know if I can ever get another cat. Our vet advised us to wait 9 months before getting another cat and we decided we would wait at least a year, but even after that amount of time, I am afraid to do so. I wish there was more information about this.

[michelle_l]

I once took in a stray black cat. I got it from a friend at work. I named him Midnight. Neither one of us knew at the time that it had FIP. It was skinny, but all the strays I've acquired were skinny too. I just he just needed some food, water and a little TLC, and he would eventually fatten up and get healthy. But as it turned out he was sick with the nasty, fatal illness called FIP. Two months after bringing him in, I had to put him down. His belly got big, he could not breathe well and he completely lost his appetite.

I had two other cats at the time. I thought the risk of one of my cats contracting this disease was minimal, since I was informed that the coronavirus has to mutate into the FIPV virus in order to cause FIP disease. I was told this does not happen in every cat. So I thought my other two cats would be OK. But I always knew the risk was there.

About 2 years after this cat was put down, I noticed my one cat Simba was starting to lose weight. At first, I presumed it was because I had cut back on their food consumption. My one other cat Blinky was getting too fat, so I figured I was feeding them too much so I had put them on a diet. So I attributed Simba's weight loss to the cutting back on food. I noticed Blinky was not losing the weight, but Simba was getting too thin. I realized then that there was something wrong with Simba. I took him to the vet, and they did a CBC. He was not anemic yet, but he was low normal. His globulins were not high, but they were high normal. His albumin was not low, but it was low normal. The vet and I agreed that he be tested for antibodies to the FIPV virus. He tested positive with a titre greater than 320, which is considered high. That was back in August of 2007. It has been about 9 months since he first started showing symptoms. He began losing the weight in June of 2007. He is still with me, but I don't know how much time he has left. He has the dry form of the disease. His belly is not swollen, but he is very skinny. He has lost half his weight. He still eats good - he wakes me up in the middle of the night if his dish is empty. He jumps on the counter when I am making dinner. Sometimes, he licks what I am trying to make. Everytime I open the fridge, he is right there checking out what is on the shelves. He follows me around everywhere. He jumps on my back all the way from the floor - he loves piggy-back rides! Sometimes his behavior makes me wonder if he even has it.

Just be aware that other cats you bring in to the household will always be at risk for coming down with the disease. It is hard to say whether or not your cats will get it or not get it.

[Bonnie C]

Michelle,

I am sorry to hear that your kitty, Simba, is losing weight. We nursed our older cat for about 2-3 years after she began showing symptoms of FIP, but we finally had to put her down. The doctor gave her some kind of shot every couple months or so that helped to calm down the disease and improve her appetite. A kitten just cannot survive the disease for long, but an older cat can survive a year or two.

Bonnie C

[sechristenson]

I lost my little boy to FIP in December 2008. My other kitty looks like she's going to be a lifetime carrier. According to my vet, and a series of online sites, coronavirus can only live in the atmosphere for 3-5 weeks, and can be killed with a 3:1 Bleach solution. This won't work so well on things like furniture, so I used Lysol daily for several weeks and have yet to have a problem. The most helpful website to me was the animalhealthchannel, as well as the Dr. Addie website, she keeps research updates posted and has proven very useful on what's new.

Hope it helps!

[Bonnie C]

Hi,

I'm so sorry on the loss of your kitty.

We lost a kitty after waiting only a month between the death of our sick (FIP) cat and getting a new kitty who was only 10 weeks old when we brought her home. She died six months later from what we suspect was FIP. Our vet counseled us that we should wait 9 -12 months before acquiring another cat. We too cleaned the carpets, tossed any litter boxes, bowls, and toys. We brought home a new cat (1 year old) in December. Now, six months, he seems to be perfectly healthy, (although I worry about him all the time.)

I think waiting for a year was wise. I also wonder if a young cat as opposed to a little kitten has a better chance of fighting off any lingering virus - I don't know.

Good luck to you!

Bonnie2

[sechristenson]

Bonnie2

According to a variety of websites, cats under 2 years, and over 10 years as well as any cat with a weakened immune system due to genetics or disease is most likely to have the Coronavirus mutate into FIP.

I'm happy your new kitty is healthy!

S :-)

[Daveyo]

You can go ahead and get another cat. Just keep in mind all cats over 80% of them have coronavirus in them and on some it will activate sooner or later. The FIP and FIPV are two very nasty diseases to cats and you best study it very well so you can recognize any of the early symptoms of the disease so you can get the treatments done right away.

These two diseases you have to monitor very closely when it comes to having cats. Make sure it stays inside the house and not run around outside without a leash. Also make sure it is vaccinated and kept up to date. Then the odds will be in your favor to avoid it.

Good luck

Daveyo