>>What are FIP and FIV? What to the letters stand for and how do these diseases affect the cat? Are there tests or vaccines? How are they contracted? Thanks!- Jennifer



Hi Jennifer,

FIP is Feline Infectious Peritonitis. FIV is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. Many people call it Feline Aids because it affects the cats immune system, but I don't like using the word "Aids" because then people think they can get Aids from cats and that is completely false. FIP is a mutation of a corona virus and is almost always fatal. There are two forms of FIP affecting the cat differently...one being the "dry" form and the other being the "wet (effusive)" form. I lost a cat to effusive FIP back in 1994. The test for FIP is not all that reliable as it only tests the titre for the corona virus itself. Just because a cat has exposure to a corona virus does not mean he has FIP.

FIV in cats can be tested for. Since it is a disease of the immune system, a cat usually will succumb to some other kind of illness rather than the FIV itself. A cat can live a long and healthy life with FIV if kept indoors, kept on good quality nutricious diet and given medical treatment for any ailment at the first sign of illness.

Both viruses are passed from cat to cat, but not in the same way. Corona viruses can be airborne. FIV is passed from cat to cat through deep bite wounds. Altho vaccines exist for both FIP and FIV, neither one is more than 65% effective and will always show a low titre reading on any subsequent testing, so you can't tell if the cat is vaccinated or has been exposed to the virus itself.

The best prevention to keeping your cats free of these viruses is to keep them indoors at all times.
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Dottie

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