Can indoor cats get viral infections?

While living an indoor lifestyle is certainly safer overall than living outdoors, and indoor living contributes to a longer life expectancy, important infectious diseases can find indoor cats. Feline rhinotracheitis virus, feline calici virus, and feline panleukopenia virus make up the feline distemper complex.

How did my indoor only cat get a cold?

Two of the most common culprits are calicivirus and feline herpesvirus or rhinotracheitis. These pathogens are usually airborne but can also be spread through water. Most cats catch colds by being close to a cat that is already sick.

How does an indoor cat get an upper respiratory infection?

Susceptible cats can get an infection by direct contact with another infected cat or by environmental exposure to objects that have been contaminated with infectious secretions, such as food and water bowls, litter boxes, toys, and bedding.

Can indoor cats get cat flu?

Can Cats Get The Flu From Humans? Cat flu is not actually caused by an influenza virus, unlike the flu that humans get. Humans cannot catch cat flu, and cats cannot catch human colds or influenza viruses. Cats can only become infected from other cats and occasionally other animals.

Will a cats upper respiratory infection go away on its own?

Most upper respiratory infections in cats will resolve themselves with a little extra TLC and time. However, more severe infections may require treatment, prescription pet medication or even hospitalization.

What kind of health problems do indoor cats have?

These diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, dental disease, cancer and arthritis, are just a few to mention that can occur in our beloved indoor cats. Unfortunately, cats are extremely stoic and do not easily show their symptoms of illness to you, their caretaker.

Are indoor cats disease-free?

Indoor cats are not disease-free. Just like in humans, cats can get sick for a number of reasons. Infectious diseases are dramatically reduced if you keep your pet inside but not eliminated completely. As your pet ages, diseases can appear that are not influenced by exposure to the outside world.

Is it better for cats to live indoors or outdoors?

While living an indoor lifestyle is certainly safer overall than living outdoors, and indoor living contributes to a longer life expectancy, important infectious diseases can find cats anyway. Feline rhinotracheitis virus, feline calici virus, and feline panleukopenia virus make up the feline distemper complex.

Are indoor cats in pain without knowing?

All three cats were silently in pain and were suffering agonizing, slow deaths without their owner’s knowledge. Each of these clients loved their cats — they just didn’t recognize their cats’ illnesses. Indoor cats are not disease-free. Just like in humans, cats can get sick for a number of reasons.