Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Canterbury_cats (Sharon) on September 24, 2008, 08:56:50 AM
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I had a call from a lady yesterday who apparently has a sister who is a vet nurse etc.. She has a cat she saved from a terrible state and it had cat flu she nursed it back to health and then took on another cat.. Foward until a few weeks ago when she lost the second cat but the first cat is still with her... She wanted to adopt a kitten and gave me ten mintues of speel of how lovely this cat is and then she mentioned the cat flue and said i would doubt we would rehome a kitten to a cat that has had cat flu, even if we had something that would be suitable.
She then gave me some blurb about her sister being a vet nurse and the vets not mentioning the fact that even though the cat is now "Cured" he does seem to sneeze every now again when stressed (typical cat flu)... But she was assured by the vets that he was cured and posed no threat to any other cat.. I kind of disagreed!! but i am no vet or a vet nurse for that matter.
But when we have cats that come in suffering from cat flu we only rehome on their own...and not to resident cats, even though they may be vac..
What do people think...?
Actually i have heard of this quite a bit.. one lady who had a cat with cat flu had four others.. but not sure if any were vac... but all looked okay..
She did sound abit dippy!
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one of mine is a calici flu carrier - he has had two episodes once after neutering and once after annual boosters, when I decided I wanted to get Tilly I checked with our vet if having Oscar with this condition meant I shouldn't get another cat and he basically said that any cat you bring in the house could be carrying anything and just because they look ok doesn't mean something won't come out later so in a nutshell his advice was don't not have another cat because of it - hope that makes sense, I'm a bit tired this morning :rofl:
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I suppose homing via CP we have to be seeing to do the right thing (due to policies et), but its fine if people decide to adopt a cat by themselves as its then their responsibility..
If we rehomed a cat to someone who has already got a cat with suspected cat flu, and the new cat became ill.. Whose fault would it be?
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I think his point was, how the heck can you tell?? who is to say every cat you have in your care isn't already carrying - he gave me a stat of something like 70% being carriers (can't remember exact number but around that) with many never showing symptoms as I say Oscar had those two incidents but has been fine for 3 years and the two girls we got from the RSPCA well who knows what they came with! I understand your concerns Sharon and I don't have the answers but that is my experience
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Issey had Calici and cat flu as a kitten
Lulu came from the cattery with Calici, so did Lala
None of them have ever had it again -
I can only say what i would do personally and that would be to allow this girl to adopt but make sure the cat/kitten that she adopts have already had its vacs (i know its not 100% safe but would help)
I also agree with what Dawn has said, how do rescues know that the cats in their care arnt carriers anyway ?
But you have to do what you are happy with Sharon
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Not had this issue myself as we don't ever ask if existing cats are carriers- we just check they are vaccinated so to be honest, if she hadn't have told you- you woulnd't be any the wiser. I'm not sure what to suggest other than to go with what your gut tells you as you woudl with any prospectve home.
In my own home, I have a cat who is a carrier but boys are fully vacc'd and vet thinks that's absolutely fine. Not that I'd want any cat to become ill, but lots of cats have a cat flu virus of one kind or another and live quite happy lives.
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if she hadn't have told you- you woulnd't be any the wiser.
I was going to say that !
In my own home, I have a cat who is a carrier but boys are fully vacc'd and vet thinks that's absolutely fine.
Thats excatly what my vet said too ...
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There is no question that the existing cat, if it has recurrent flare-ups, which it sounds like it does, could infect any new cat whether or not the new cat is fully vaccinated, and it doesnt follow that the illness is less severe in vaccinated cats, particularly with the herpesvirus.
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I thought that with a lot of cats that have had cat flu it can do physical damage so they might for example be snotty but not necessarily suffering from a relapse.
I think we need a vets opinion on this as most of what I've heard is second hand - or perhaps a few vets opinions as they do seem to contradict themselves sometimes.
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Calici cats are not contaigious after x amount of time i thought :-:
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Calici cats are not contaigious after x amount of time i thought :-:
Some will eliminate the virus, but from what I've read, others can remain carriers.
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I also agree with what Dawn has said, how do rescues know that the cats in their care arnt carriers anyway ?
We don't but when you do know it is very different. I think a word with the CP vet would be the way to go.
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Polly is believed to have had cat flu before I had her, which is why she now has blocked tear ducts - which she lives with happily. She's never again had flu or given it to any other cat. I don't think it necessarily follows that if a cat has had, and overcome, cat flu, that cat is permanently contagious. I think this is the case even if they have snuffles as a consequence of the flu.
Would check with a vet though.