@Tomyros
I did extensive research on coronaviruses several years ago, specific to the cat.
I had adopted two rescues from the Humane Society, and it seemed they were ALWAYS sick, with gut problems.
They were treated for giardia, and tested for allergies, of all things they ended up allergic to wheat, pork, white potatoes, and rice. I bought them gluten-free food, and finally ended up giving each of them daily doses of probiotic just for cats.
One of the cats had the problems clear up. The other cat got sicker and sicker, a gradual decline. He had constant loose stools, and occasionally bled into the stool.
It got to the point I could feel each bony projection on his spine, but he had a fat belly.
The vet we use is a remarkable animal doctor. He knew the whole history, and he withdrew a syringe-full of fluid from the cat’s abdomen.
My cat had Feline Infectious Peritonitis. And it’s fatal.
It turns out most cats pick up a coronavirus at some time in their lives. It’s very contagious. And for most of those cats who get it, it causes a benign, short-lived “stomach virus,” and it resolves without treatment.
For a small minority of the infected cats, the coronavirus mutates and causes the FIP.
I learned a lot about coronaviruses so I could understand what happened to my cat. The first thing I learned is that the coronavirus mutates rapidly.
And while coronaviruses infect nearly everything, they usually are species-specific. Typically, coronavirus in cats infect the gut.
My cat’s fatal infection with coronavirus was no threat to me or my family.
It just broke my heart.
My cat was an Ocicat, he had the most amazing green eyes, and his name was Peri, short for Peridot.
With the coronavirus pandemic, there have been only a couple of instances of household pets testing positive for infection, and their infection was respiratory, not gastrointestinal.
The cross-species infection that supposedly created this human pandemic COVID virus was apparently transmitted through blood contact.
Congratulations on the new kitteh! I hope everyone enjoys a long, loving life together!
And I politely suggest if a kitteh gets sick, handle him/her using gloves.
~VOW
