My Baby has Flu!

We've had Bungo for 3 weeks now and I noticed he was sneezing more than my other cats used to, and also he had a bit of discharge from his nose and round his eyes. I thought I may have been overreacting but better be safe than sorry I took him to the vet this evening, He looked in his mouth and found an ulcer and confirmed he has the Feline Calicivirus strain of cat flu.

Me being rather clueless in this subject thought it was the end of world, but apparently not. The vet explained how it worked and re-assured me he would be fine. I've also read up about it on the Feline Advice Bureau and that has reassured me too.

Now I know why my breeder told me not to show or breed him! I have a feeling she must have known. She had a lot of maine coons in her house (16 permanent residents plus kittens) and after reading up it looks like it's common in such large catteries.

Im so glad I went to the vet now, and my advice would be if in doubt get it checked out!

Hi Becky

Sorry to hear your little one is poorly.

Unfortunately, calicivirus can lay dormant in cats so you could be unwillingly breeding with cats that have calicivirus and never realise.

The test that is done by vets is a swab test at the back of the cat's throat and this will tell whether your cat is shedding the virus or not. The problem is that although a lot of cats will become carriers, they won't always shed the virus so a swab could show up negative but the cat could become a carrier. It is also possibly for a cat to become infected with calici but then clear it and never shed it again. It isn't a nice virus for them to have as it does cause mouth discomfort, joint discomfort and general flu like symptoms but it is certainly the flu virus that is easier for your cats to get over and most will never show symptoms again after the initial infection.

There are lots of catteries that say they are clear of calici and herpes but this isn't always the case, depending on when the testing is done.

As long as your kitten is eating, drinking and grooming then I would try not to worry. Give plenty of soft, easily digestible food as and when your kitten wants to eat and I would imagine that within a week or so, he will be absolutely fine.

I would mention it to the breeder that you got the kitten from to make them aware.

Louise

Poor Bungo thats a bit of a rough start & have to agree with three symptoms like that a vet visit was the only way out,I am surprised that with an ulcer in the mouth he was even managing to eat normally as we have had them in at work where that has been the first sign that there was something wrong before the other symptoms appear,no doubt he is now getting even more TLC than normal,hope he is soon feeling a lot better & agree with Louise inform your breeder ....x

Poor Bungo! Unfortunately it seems to be a common occurrence that kittens can come from the breeder harbouring some kind of respiratory infection. I'm pretty sure that Dudley had flu when we got him (but the herpes kind I think), he'd just had his second round of shots but I think it was more than just a reaction to those. He looked like a real poor soul for a few days with yellow gunge coming from his eyes and nose. The vet treated him for conjunctivitis and he had antibiotics. The good news is that he's pretty much made a full recovery, he still sneezes everyday but it is becoming less frequent with time. His appetite is good and he's starting to fill out his long skinny frame. I'm sure Bungo will recover in the same way with lots of TLC and a good diet. Hugs!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Becky

We've had Bungo for 3 weeks now and I noticed he was sneezing more than my other cats used to, and also he had a bit of discharge from his nose and round his eyes. I thought I may have been overreacting but better be safe than sorry I took him to the vet this evening, He looked in his mouth and found an ulcer and confirmed he has the Feline Calicivirus strain of cat flu.

Me being rather clueless in this subject thought it was the end of world, but apparently not. The vet explained how it worked and re-assured me he would be fine. I've also read up about it on the Feline Advice Bureau and that has reassured me too.

Now I know why my breeder told me not to show or breed him! I have a feeling she must have known. She had a lot of maine coons in her house (16 permanent residents plus kittens) and after reading up it looks like it's common in such large catteries.

Im so glad I went to the vet now, and my advice would be if in doubt get it checked out!

---

It is known more in cattery for them to have or have had some kind of flu like virus.. but for a breeder to give you advice not to show based in this is rather bizzare.. as basically with the right treatment your kitten should get over this and if he is good enough standard of the breed and registered correctly there is no reason why you can not show him..



If you feel that the breeder did know that the kitten is and or was sick when you bought it you should take this up with the registering body, but if you have other cats, it may also be that your baby caught something from them not saying he did but this is what the breeder might or could say..



What is quite alarming is the amount of cases in Mainecoons that are appearing on the forum with information on herpes and Calicivirus and Chlamydia in kittens sold..

Poor kitty... I once had a MC girl who actually got a strain of cat flu from her Tricat booster! She was extremely poorly, luckily we had lots of space then and none of the other cats caught anything, she was rehomed but died when she was six! She'd always been a tiny MC and I still wonder if she had been ill before we got her.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tivicoons

Poor kitty... I once had a MC girl who actually got a strain of cat flu from her Tricat booster! She was extremely poorly, luckily we had lots of space then and none of the other cats caught anything, she was rehomed but died when she was six! She'd always been a tiny MC and I still wonder if she had been ill before we got her.

---

I have heard of that too - if the kitten is given a live vaccine and inhales the droplets or a litter mate is able to lick where the booster has been given then it is thought possible they can contract the virus.

I always use the dead vaccine for that reason.

Sorry to hear that Becky, as the others have said, no doubt lots of TLC and he'll soon be right as rain.

Just so you know, my previous kitty had Calici virus when he was young and lived to the ripe old age of 17 or so, having never suffered any further symptoms other when he was first diagnosed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by WoodsideMaineCoons

I have heard of that too - if the kitten is given a live vaccine and inhales the droplets or a litter mate is able to lick where the booster has been given then it is thought possible they can contract the virus.

I always use the dead vaccine for that reason.

---

Both our vets dab the area with surgical spirit after vaccine given if there is more than one kitten being done at same time,smell puts them off going near that area on each other....

I hope Bungo feels better soon Becky! Give him lots of cuddles :)

I'm a bit concerned now because Teddy comes from a breeder who has quite a few cats - both pets and breeding cats...

Thanks everyone for your input guys on reflection I doubt the breeder would have given me Bungo knowingly with flu and not warned me, was just upset and trying to blame someone. I will let her know though so she's aware

We don't have any other cats and he has been sneezing since we got him so he definitely got it when he was at the breeders.

He seemed very happy within himself the whole time and had his mad hour (at least) a day and didn't seem to be suffering. He is getting lots of love and attention and will recover quickly as the vet said it was mild.

Rachel C - thats very comforting to know!

Stacey - Just because he is in a large cattery doesnt automatically mean he will have this too. And by the sounds of it it's quite common and very manageable xxx