Terminal Cat Diseases

It's difficult for a pet owner to think of losing a cat or dog due to a terminal illness. Sometimes, though, even the most well-cared for pet can become ill. Some conditions, if diagnosed early, can be managed, even if fatal, making the cat comfortable and giving you some additional quality time with her. The best you can do to avoid diseases in your cat is to make sure that she is up-to-date on her vaccines, and to keep her indoors.

  1. Rabies

    • Rabies is a disease that is caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system. The virus is usually transmitted through a cat being bitten by an infected animal. Although the incidence of rabies in domestic cats has decreased since the advent of the rabies vaccination, not all cats are vaccinated. Symptoms of rabies are many and varied and include erratic behavior, viciousness, disorientation and seizures. Unfortunately, the only diagnostic method being used takes place after the cat's death, by looking at the brain. There is no treatment or cure for rabies.

    Feline leukemia virus (FeLV)

    • Feline leukemia is a virus, produced by an enzyme that attacks the cat's immune system. It is a fatal infectious disease and your cat can catch it through the urine, saliva and feces of an infected animal. Early symptoms include lethargy, vomiting and fever. Diagnosis is done via blood tests. There is no cure for FeLV, but there is a preventive vaccine. According to veterinarians at the Animal Aid Clinic in Elkhart, Indiana, FeLV is the most common infectious disease in cats.

    Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

    • According to veterinarians at Cornell University, FIP is the second leading fatal disease in cats.The virus that causes FIP is quite hardy and survives in infected animals' feces for months. Symptoms of FIP include bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and fever, and once they appear, death is inescapable. Fortunately there is a vaccine against FIP that can protect your cat against the disease.