Animal Advice

[Kujacker]

[Kujacker]

I need a bit of advice… maybe one of you has had this same problem before.

Two weeks ago, my dad had us go to the pound and he got a new kitten. We have my cat already (12+ year old black persian), but we’ve gotten a lot of animals from the pound so we never thought anything different.
Well, the new cat got a respiratory infection (no doubt from the pound). We’ve been keeping him out in the back room for “quarantine” until he gets better (still not better yet, check up tomorrow), but I guess it didn’t help… My persian is now sneezing just like the kitten was when he first got sick… so now he’s sick…
My dog doesn’t have anything to worry about since he can’t catch a feline sickness… but my ferret? Ferrets are very sensitive to catching any sort of illness, so now I’m really worried about him catching it… specially since he doesn’t get put in his cage anymore… he just runs around the house as he pleases.

Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone know that if once the kitten gets well, he can’t fall ill again because of my, now ill cat? If not… wouldn’t that just mean the infection would bounce back and forth and never clear up? :/ This is all too much for my family right now… we can’t afford the medical bills we have, and now the animals are $200+ a vet visit. Ugh.

[dragonmedley]

I would quarantine the ferret right away! Even if it means putting him back in his cage… the poor guy might chafe at it, but I think feline bugs can really affect ferrets. We’ve never had a cat (Warp10’s allergic), but that would be what I’d do.

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[Kristen]

I’m not sure if they can give the cold to each other after it clears up, but I’d keep them isolated for about 3 weeks (I know, it’s a long time, but that’s how long it took for Kimi to stop showing symptoms), preferably keep them in an easily cleaned area (lack of carpets, they are nice little hosts for infections of all kinds). Then wash things like food bowls, kitty litter boxes, water dishes, pet beds, etc, with bleach to kill off the infection (since bleach kills alot of viruses, it probably kills the one your kitties have). Once they aren’t showing active symptoms, they should be fine around each other, and shouldn’t bounce it back and forth.

A vet won’t be able to do anything for them except prevent secondary infections (with an antibiotic). They haven’t come up with a cure for the human common cold, and they haven’t come up with a cure for the feline common cold either.

Just try to keep them eating, from experience, cats with colds don’t like to eat…. it’s what almost got Kimi, we had to practically force food down her throat.

I may just be repeating what you already know, so feel free to tell me, “Yes, mother, I know mother….” lol

I found a website that seems to support the idea that ferrets can get the infection, so I would say isolate him as well. And the usual hygiene stuffs, wash hands between handling each pet, etc, etc.

[Jennifer]

Kujacker wrote:

Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone know that if once the kitten gets well, he can’t fall ill again because of my, now ill cat? If not… wouldn’t that just mean the infection would bounce back and forth and never clear up? :/

I don’t know about ‘never clear up’– but yes, depending on a few things, they can pass it back and forth. This is why many shelters can never seem to be ‘rid’ of URIs in cats (amongst other contributing factors). 🙁 It’s complicated in the fact that the virus responsible can live for more than a month in dry discharge… that means if a sick cat sneezes on the floor and a few weeks later your other cat sniffs or licks that area, they can get sick. That’s why quarantine is suggested for 90 days.. That’s hard to pull off with cats though! If you can do it, try for 4 weeks if you are really worried. Even if you disinfect everything, they can pick it back up by grooming one another, etc. Additionally, most conventional cleaning alcohols, including “antibacterial” hand sprays/washes, do NOT kill the common virus responsible for feline URIs.

Strict quarantine is what I’d recommend, and if you can deal with it, a change of clothes. I know that is a lot to ask! When I worked with birds at my workplace I had to come home, strip, and shower before I could even interact with my parrots :/ I couldn’t risk it because birds can carry lethal communicable disease.

If you can’t pull off the clothes change, at least be sure to wash hands thoroughly and properly when ‘switching’ which cat you interact with. Don’t share any toys, bowls, etc. Try to keep stress on the cats to a minimum if you can. And be aware that it can pop back up later. :/ That’s why it’s always a good idea to have some savings set aside when bringing a new animal home; vet care is expensive.

Here is a very through link for you:
http://www.sheltermedicine.com/portal/is_feline_upper_res.shtml

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[Kujacker]

Thank you for all the advice! I took the kitten into the vet today and she said he’s looking a lot better… and in regards to my older cat getting it, she said his immune system should kick it itself… but if after about 4 or 5 days he’s still not better or has gotten worst, then I have to treat him too.
And both are still being kept apart… vet said at least for another 5 days or so. She said she’s not sure about them kicking it back and forth to each other afterward though…

I did some internet research yesterday while at work… and I found a couple articles that say ferrets aren’t susceptible to germs that cause feline respiratory problems… but I’m still iffy and way too protective of him, so I’ve been cleaning everything that he might touch that my older cat would have. Thankfully, my older cat pretty much just sleeps all day in the same spot…
I’ve always been a constant handwasher, but I’ve taken it to a new level lol!

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