Preventing Common Feline Diseases

Most common feline diseases can be prevented by following two simple things: 

1. Keep your cat indoors, and 

2. Have annual veterinary check-ups, to continually monitor their health, and to keep vaccinations up to date. Common feline diseases include the following:

	Transmissible to Humans	Transmits via contact/bites	Transmits via feces	Potentially Fatal	Available vaccination
Panleukopenia		✓		✓	✓
FeLV		✓	✓	✓	✓
FIV		✓		✓	✓
FIP		✓	✓	✓
Coccidia			✓
Giardia	✓		✓
Ringworm	✓	✓
Scabies	✓	✓
Fleas	✓	✓

Feline Panleukopenia: a highly contagious and aggressive viral disease that typically attacks the digestive system, lymph tissue, bone marrow, and the developing nervous system. As a result, symptoms include diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, and seizing. 

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV): a disease that affects the immune system and can lead to certain types of cancers. Though there is no set of common symptoms associated with FeLV, cats become generally immuno-suppressed and become more susceptible to other diseases. 

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV): a virus similar to the human acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Because this virus attacks a cat’s immune system, it can manifest in a variety of symptoms but most commonly chronic infections, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. FIV is not transmittable to humans. 

Feline infections peritonitis (FIP): a viral disease that begins by infecting the cat’s white blood cells and then is spread to other tissues. There are two forms of FIP: wet and dry. Both forms are characterized by lack of appetite, fever, jaundice, and diarrhea, but the wet form is also associated with accumulation of fluid in the chest and abdomen. 

Coccidia: a parasitic disease of the intestinal track that causes diarrhea. Though there are forms of this disease that affects humans, the form that infects your cat is species specific and is not transmissible to humans. 

Giardia: another parasitic disease of the intestinal track that causes diarrhea. There are many strains of Giardia and it has yet to be proven or disproven that humans can contract Giardia from cats. Thus, it is generally advised to treat Giardia as if it were transmissible from feline to human.

Ringworm: a fungal infection of the skin. In cats, ringworm is characterized by circular patches of hairloss.

Sarcoptic Mange (Scabies): a skin disease caused my microscopic, parasitic mites. In cats, scabies is characterized by hair loss, itching, and inflammation.

Fleas, fl ea allergies, and ticks: fleas and ticks are parasites that feed off the blood of animals and are commonly picked up by cats while they are wandering outdoors. It is common for cats to have flea allergies, characterized by itching, hair loss, and inflammation. It is possible for fleas and ticks to infest and become widespread in your household if your cat is not kept indoors and properly medicated.