Cat flu is a common and very contagious infectious disease. It is often found in feral cats and principally affects kitten, older cats, non-vaccinated, or weakened adults.
There are three agents responsible for causing cat flu: two viruses (herpesvirus and calicivirus) and one bacteria (chlamydia). Only one of these agents is needed for a cat to develop cat flu.
This disease can be transmitted in two ways:
Cat flu can affect the eyes, the nose, and/ or the mouth. This varies depending on the agent implicated. Symptoms range from nasal and/ or eye discharge, sneezing, stuffy nose, cough, or gingivitis. If the disease evolves, your cat may have a fever, lose its appetite and experience a general degradation of its health.
A cat can sadly never fully clears cat flu viruses. Once infected, it will remain so for life. This illness reactivates in times of stress with varied intensity. The only thing you can do is treat its symptoms. You can use an eye wash, do inhalations with a mix of essential oils adapted to cats, or to use a soothing mouthwash. If after a week the symptoms have not faded, or if your cat’s health degrades (fever, loss of appetite), you are advised to see your veterinarian.
Finally, to protect your cat, it is important that you vaccinate it. Talk about it to your veterinarian.