Cat flu refers to upper respiratory tract infection in cats. Most of these infections are caused by one of two viruses – feline Herpes virus or feline Calicivirus – or feline Chlamydia. As these are included in standard cat vaccinations, cat flu is most commonly seen in unvaccinated cats. Cat flu is caused by different organisms to human flu and so cannot cause disease in humans and vice versa.
Symptoms of cat flu may include: sneezing and snuffling, conjunctivitis, mouth ulcers, coughing, fever, lethargy, inappetance and dehydration. The severity and length of the clinical signs is dependent upon the cats immune system therefore young kittens, older debilitated cats and unvaccinated cats are the most severely affected – young, unvaccinated kittens can die from cat flu. As cat flu is primarily caused by viruses there is no specific anti-viral treatment available. Antibiotics are used to treat the secondary bacterial infections and supportive treatment is given to stimulate the appetite, remove mucous accumulation and correct dehydration as required. Humidifying the environment such as placing your cat in a steamy small room or using a vaporiser can assist with nasal decongestion. Gentle removal of eye and nose discharges with moistened tissues or cotton balls assist with helping your cat to feel better and offering warmed strong smelling food such as sardines may encourage the appetite. In most cases, cat flu is a self-limiting disease which is overcome by the cat’s immune system. Antibodies developed from vaccination assist with this process.
After a bout of cat flu, some cats may become virus carriers who can shed the virus either continuously or intermittently in times of stress (eg boarding, hospitalisation), and develop chronic persistent signs of cat flu (ie nasal discharge and sneezing). These “chronic snuffler” cats need long term management of their disease and need to be kept away from unvaccinated cats and kittens to help reduce the risk of virus spread.
Vaccination from an early age is recommended to build up your cat’s immune system to help prevent infection with cat flu. This involves an initial course of injections followed by regular boosters especially for those cats which regularly go into stressful environments eg boarding catteries, cat shows. Vaccination is not a guarantee against infection, but will limit the severity and length of the disease.
