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>Yesterday I found a lost kitten in the parking lot, and
someone in our office
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>adopted the kitten, as it had been seen in the area for the
last few days. He
>immediately took the kitten to the vet, who said that the
kitten has a bloated
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>stomach and a slight temp. He said the kitten may just be
bloated from eating a
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>lot of food that day after possibly starving for a day or
two, but it could
>also be something more serious.
>This is a very friendly kitten about 4 months old who
appears to be healthy (no
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>runny eyes, no sneezing, is not lethargic and eats and
drinks normally). I am
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>glad we were able to find it a home, but I also wonder: if
it does have
>something like FIP, could I have infected my own cats by
petting and holding
>this kitten? I was careful to wash my hands in
antibacterial soap when I got
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>home, so I would think the danger is minimal, but I wonder
if there's anything
>to worry about.
I asked several vets the same question last year when a
kitten I had adopted from a shelter became ill very suddenly
and died of an unknown infection. (I had kept him apart from
my other two cats, and washed my hands, disinfected or threw
out all the cat equipment he touched, but I was still
worried). Some viruses are very persistent in the
environment or on articles of clothing, etc. (e.g.,
panleukopenia) and are difficult to destroy. However, the
vets were unanimous in telling me that young, healthy,
vaccinated cats in good condition are at extremely low risk
of contracting infectious diseases.
They were correct-I never saw any sign of illness in my
other two cats, and I watched them like a hawk for the next
two weeks.
Kittens, elderly, immunocompromised, or unvaccinated cats or
cats suffering from malnutrition, parasites, etc. are more
vulnerable, though.
It's also my understanding that the coronavirus which causes
FIP is rather fragile, and is transmitted cat-to-cat through
contact with fecal matter, rather than through the air or
other means.
Marca
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