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Coronaviruses don’t just affect us pet owners, but our furry friends too. In contrast to the new type of coronavirus affecting humans, feline coronavirus (FcoV) has already been known for several years. These include feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and the much better-known feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). The latter causes fatal feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which leads to peritonitis and abdominal dropsy. On the other hand, people suffer from flu-like symptoms, especially those with weakened immune systems like elderly or sick people.
The first cases of the new infectious disease Covid-19 affecting humans were declared in China at the end of 2019. There are currently thousands suffering from this disease worldwide and there has still not been a clear explanation as to where the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 originated from. According to the current state of science, however, the respiratory disease has been transmitted to humans by bats, pangolins or snakes. The federal research institute for animal health (Friedrich Löffler Institute, FLI) categorises transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to cats or vice versa as unlikely. Covid-19 isn’t said to represent any health risks to dogs and other animals like pigs or chickens, although there was a positive test on a dog in Hong Kong after examining its nose and mouth. However, the coronavirus has to be detected in the body for a real infection, which is why it is assumed that there was a superficial contamination through close physical contact with infected humans. Nevertheless, it’s recommended to adhere to hygiene measures in contact with pets.
Although a cat was diagnosed with Covid-19, showing symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting and respiratory issues after being infected by its owner, experts insist that this was a rare case. The cat has recovered after 9 days, but is still being observed by vets.
It is still not clear how dangerous Covid-19 is for cats, whereas the long-known feline coronaviruses (FcoV) which are related to Covid-19 can be very dangerous. The following article will outline which coronaviruses this includes, what symptoms emerge and how cats can be protected from them.
Currently, there is no evidence that cats can transmit the coronavirus to humans. If your cat is well, they can still leave the house and explore the surroundings. It is still advisable to be cautious when handling pets, paying attention to washing hands after touching them and cleaning their food/water bowls and litter boxes.
Coronaviruses affecting cats include feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and the resulting feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). The two viruses can then be further split into two different types (serotype I and II), which differ in terms of characteristics.
This virus is widespread amongst cats, with breeds of cats affected particularly often. Cats can become infected through direct and indirect contact from secretion from the respiratory tract, contaminated faeces and urine. For instance, cats can get infected from contaminated food bowls, litter boxes or during play. The virus enters the gastrointestinal tract via the mouth and first multiplies, then infects regional lymph nodes and macrophages in the immune system.
Whilst feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) is widespread, infections caused by feline infectious peritonitis virus are much rarer in cats. This is because the virus is transmitted neither by direct nor indirect contact. It occurs through random mutations of feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) in the phagocytes, meaning that potentially every cat infected with FECV can carry the feline infectious peritonitis virus. However, an infection doesn’t always mean that signs of illness inevitably occur. Only around 5 to 10% of affected cats get sick from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), with a large number of such cats just one year of age. Factors caused by a weakened immune system such as other infections (e.g. FeLV, FIV) play a big role.
If the infected phagocytes reach the bloodstream, the virus spreads in the whole body and causes major damage, which depends on the respective form of progression:
The first signs of illness following infection from the feline infectious peritonitis virus can show after just a few days or only several months later.
Since many organs like the kidneys, liver or CNS are damaged, the picture of FIP is very varied. Depending on the form of progression, the following symptoms can be observed:
Whilst FIP in cats leads to death within a few weeks, feline enteric coronavirus thankfully just causes mild bowel inflammations with diarrhoea and fever.
If your cat is sleeping more at the moment or is showing symptoms affecting the central nervous system or other serious symptoms, they should be checked by a vet.
If the anamnesis and general clinical examination indicate that your cat is possibly suffering from a coronavirus infection, the vet has three options to make a diagnosis:
Diarrhoea and fever can be treated pharmacologically in the context of an FECV infection. However, feline infectious peritonitis is unfortunately not treatable. There are merely supportive measures available, which improve the remaining quality of life and reduce the cat’s suffering. If this is no longer possible, getting a vet to put the cat to sleep should be considered.
The prognosis of an FECV infection is generally good, but there is always the danger of it mutating to FIPV. If it eventually ends up being clinical FIP, unfortunately the imminent death of the cat can be expected.
The following preventive measures protect your cat from feline coronavirus infections:
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At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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