Management of a feral cat colony (4) – ‘Cat Flu’ (FVC & FHV)

Cat flu is a disease that we find often in feral cats, stray cats and very often in young kittens. Many kittens we rescue have been abandoned purely because they have become infected with flu, which spreads fast amongst litter mates. It varies in its severity and can be life-threatening. It is widespread and common and once again highly prevalent in large groups of cats living in close contact.

There are two main causes of flu infection - Feline Calicivirus (FCV), or Feline Herpes Virus (FHV, or FHV-1).

Signs of cat Flu

The usual signs are sneezing, discharge from the nose, conjunctivitis (inflammation of the lining of the eyes), discharge from the eyes, appetite loss and fever. Advanced signs may also include coughing and ulcers in the mouth. This will affect very young, very old and generally poorly cats and lead to complications such as pneumonia. FIV positive and FeLV positive cats are very vulnerable to cat flu.

Treatment

Kitten Pumpkin, rescued by CAT77 Doncaster South, has fully recovered from her eye removal which was a result of cat flu.

Treatment of cat flu is mainly concentrated on supportive therapy and treating the various symptoms (such as any resulting bacterial infections) with antibiotics. In some serious cases where the cat’s eyes are affected, removal of the eye(s) is the only option to save the cat’s life.

Cats with flu lose their sense of smell and are frequently reluctant to eat, or eating may be painful if mouth ulcers are present.

A vaccine is available to prevent flu and is part of the core vaccinations a kitten can receive from approx. nine weeks of age and should be annually boostered.

Scout, the white and black kitten pictured above was one of the worst cases of cat flu we’ve seen. She’s still going strong ten years later.

Flu “carriers”

Quite a few cats can recover successfully from flu infections, but many will become “carriers” of the virus for the rest of their lives. They often show no signs of illness but can shed the virus in their bodily fluids (saliva, eyes and nose). These cats may pass the infection onto other cats they share homes with. Often, as “carrier” cats age, they develop signs of nasal congestion and are often referred to as “snufflers”. With good care, they can live a long and relatively healthy life.

© Cat Action Trust 1977