Cat flu

Cat flu is the common name for a feline upper respiratory disease, which can be caused by one or more possible pathogens:

1. Feline herpes virus, causing feline viral rhinotracheitis (cat common cold; this is the disease most associated with the "cat flu" misnomer),
2. Feline calicivirus,
3. Bordetella bronchiseptica (cat kennel cough), or
4. Chlamydia felis (chlamydia).

Transmission & Spread

Cat Flu is spread similarly to the "human flu" including:

• Direct contact such as playing, sleeping together, licking, or nuzzling
• Airborne droplets through coughing or sneezing which can reach another cat's eyes, nose, or mouth
• Contaminated surfaces such as food bowls, bedding, litter, or human hands

Even after recovery, many cats will remain carriers of the virus and have the potential to spread it to other cats(R). Both cats and humans are susceptible to the virus, however the risk for humans is relatively low.^[1]

Symptoms

Cats with upper respiratory infections may avoid eating and drinking.

The viral infection in cats in usually mild, with some cats remaining asymptomatic.^[1] Infected cats can exhibit the following symptoms:

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Fever
• Discharge from the nose or eyes.^[2]
• Lethargy
• Fever
• Conjunctivitis^[3]
• Loss of appetite
• Neurological symptoms such as paralysis and seizures

Severely infected cats can combat other complications including pneumonia, secondary bacterial infections, or even death when infected with highly pathogenic viruses like avian influenza A(H5N1).^[1]

More rare symptoms include: a loss of appetite, lethargy, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and blepharospasm (squinting).

Diagnosis & Treatment

Cat flu is typically treated at home and generally focuses on the animal's symptoms. Currently, there are no antiviral drugs to treat cat flu, but antibacterial (antibiotic) drugs can be prescribed if symptoms are long-lasting or severe. Veterinarians may also prescribe eye drops or pain medication to aid the healing process.

Other common home remedies include exposing the cat to warm, humid air (such as through a humidifier); gentle face washing to remove nasal discharge; and feeding the cat strong-smelling foods (due to the respiratory infections often impacting a cat's sense of smell, and by extension its appetite).^[4]

If a cat is suffering from excessive lethargy or dehydration, veterinarians may recommend hospital stays and, in extreme cases, appetite stimulants or the use of intravenous catheters or feeding tubes.

When symptoms do not subside, veterinarians may run additional tests including chest x-rays, blood tests, or bacterial cultures.

Prevention

General Hygiene

• Wash your hands with running water and soap, especially after:
  • Handling cats and their food and water dishes, and any supplies
  • Contact with cat saliva or feces
  • Cleaning the litter box
  • Outdoor gardening
  • Before eating and/or drinking
• Clean and/or change litter boxes daily
  • Immunocompromised people and pregnant women avoid cleaning litter boxes if possible due to increased risk and complications.
• Place litter boxes in areas away from other animals, children, and food preparation areas^[5]

Vaccination

To reduce the spread, veterinarians recommend vaccination of kittens.^[6]

Quarantine

Already-infected cats must usually be isolated from all other cats for at least two weeks, and all objects touched by the cat must usually be decontaminated afterwards, including litter boxes, food bowls, and human hands.

In society

In South Africa, the term cat flu is also used to refer to canine parvovirus; however, that illness primarily affects dogs, though at times also mammals such as cats, skunks, and foxes.^[7]

In the 2013 psychological horror film Escape from Tomorrow, there is a fictional strain of cat flu surrounding the Disneyland parks, which a Disneyland nurse claims one "could be a host [of] and not even know it". The main protagonist Jim later experiences these symptoms in the end of the film, such as constipation, vomiting up massive hairballs and blood, and gradual weakening of his body, before his wife discovers his corpse the next morning with cat eyes and a grinning face.