Cat Health or Cat Diseases

Many cat diseases are viral in nature, meaning that they are usually spread by contact with the body fluids of an infected cat, particularly saliva. Because cats are prone to fighting, outdoor cats are at particular risk for diseases. Vaccines are available for some feline diseases, and your veterinarian can recommend which you should consider for your cat based on its risk of exposure. (See References 2)

  1. Feline Leukemia

    • Feline leukemia is a viral disease spread from cat to cat via saliva and the most common viral disease of cats. Feline leukemia cannot be passed to humans and does not survive in the environment. Kittens are particularly susceptible and may become infected while in the womb or within the first few weeks after birth. Older cats are less susceptible and may even develop immunity to the disease. Cats infected with the feline leukemia virus become lethargic, won't eat and have difficulties breathing or swallowing. Feline leukemia causes tumors to arise throughout the cat's body, often affecting the digestive system and other abdominal organs, which may cause additional symptoms. Your veterinarian will do blood tests to diagnose feline leukemia or inspect cells taken from tumors she removes. Feline leukemia can be treated with chemotherapy, but success is relatively rare, and only 10 to 15 percent of affected cats survive beyond one year. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends vaccination for any cats at risk for the disease.

    Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

    • Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is similar to HIV that affects people in that the virus itself causes few symptoms but, by impeding immune system function, makes cats more susceptible to secondary infections. According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, 1.5 to three percent of cats carry the feline immunodeficiency virus. Like feline leukemia, FIV is spread through the saliva, primarily from bite wounds, putting outdoor cats at greater risk. FIV initially causes a fever and swelling of the lymph nodes that may go unnoticed until, some years later, the cat appears to be more susceptible to routine illnesses. FIV can be diagnosed in a veterinary office with blood tests, but there is no treatment, and affected cats remain infected for life.

    Rabies

    • According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more cats are infected with rabies than any other domesticated animal in the United States. Rabies affects all warm-blooded animals, including humans, and many localities require cats to have a current rabies vaccination. Rabies is spread through a virus in the saliva and introduced into the body through bite wounds. Almost all infected animals die from the disease. Rabies affects the central nervous system and takes two forms, paralytic and furious. In the paralytic form, cats have difficulty swallowing, and the paralysis spreads throughout their body, killing them in a matter of hours. The furious form is more familiar, and cats exhibit extreme behavior changes and aggression, provoked by sounds and moving objects to bite and scratch. Vaccination of cats against rabies is highly recommended.