If you're about to welcome a feline friend into your home, you probably have a lot of questions concerning keeping your new pet happy and healthy, especially if you've never shared your home and life with a cat before. With the right type of environment, care, and a little luck, cats can live as long as 20 years — even more in some cases. However, despite myths and legends stating that cats have nine lives, they only actually have one, and the length and quality of that single life depend highly on the care they receive from their humans. Predators, traffic, and disease are just a few of the threats to the existence of the average cat.
Feline distemper is a fairly common disease with a high mortality rate. Otherwise known as panleukopenia, feline distemper has no cure. At best, veterinarians can treat the symptoms and hope that the animal has the strength to pull through.
Here's What Else You Need to Know About Feline Distemper:
Feline Distemper Is Highly Contagious
Feline distemper is so contagious that it's almost a given that if there's one infected outdoor cat in the neighborhood, the rest are at extreme risk of contracting the disease. It's transmissible via a variety of ways, including saliva, feces, nasal discharge, blood, and urine.
Feline Distemper Has Clear Symptoms
If your feline friend comes down with feline distemper, you'll have little doubt that your pet is ill, and this disease has clear symptoms that make it relatively easy to diagnose. Symptoms of feline distemper include pronounced lethargy, gastric distress, lack of appetite, and noticeable weakness.
Feline Distemper Is Riskier for Kittens
Although adult cats sometimes come down with feline distemper, the disease is far more deadly for kittens. Because their immune systems are not yet developed, kittens aren't able to fight off disease as effectively as their adult cat counterparts.
Feline Distemper Has a Vaccine
One of the reasons you don't hear as much about feline distemper as in the past is that an effective vaccine exists — which means the disease isn't as prevalent as in the past. However, it's important that all pet owners do their share in keeping the cat population vaccinated to protect the degree of herd immunity that has developed since the advent of the vaccine. Your kitten should be vaccinated for feline distemper as soon as possible after you bring it home. Your cat will need booster shots from time to time, but their frequency will depend on the overall health of your cat and the overall risk of distemper in your specific area.
If you think your cat has feline distemper, contact a veterinarian near you.
