Common Cat Illnesses That Are Contagious

It can be difficult to tell if your cat is sick, as they are experts at hiding discomfort. Therefore, cat parents must pay close attention to their feline companions and be aware of signs of illness. In this post, our vets in Lincoln will discuss common contagious illnesses among cats.

Your Cat's Health

Cats are impassive animals and are very talented at hiding signs of pain or symptoms of illness. Cats often hide out of sight when they don't feel well. This is what makes it hard to tell if your cat is sick, so it's very important for pet parents to keep an eye on their cat's health and be prepared for when their beloved kitty does show signs of being unwell. 

Common Illnesses & Diseases in Cats

Some contagious illnesses are also common among cats. Here are the illnesses and symptoms to beware of if you have a kitty in your home.

Upper Respiratory Infections (Cat Colds)

Viruses and bacteria, such as feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus, can cause your cat to develop an upper respiratory tract infection that affects its nose, throat, and sinuses.

These serious illnesses are contagious among cats that live in multi-cat homes, in shelters, or spend much time outdoors and encounter other cats. Feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus are transmitted during regular activities such as grooming, sharing a food or water bowl, or coughing and sneezing.  Cats infected with the virus can then easily transmit the illness to other cats within the household or the neighborhood. Common symptoms of upper respiratory illness in cats include:

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or FIV as it is commonly called, is most often seen in male outdoor cats who tend to fight. This cat illness can be very serious and usually spread through bites obtained during fights; however, it can be passed from a female cat to her kittens in rare situations.

FIV is a slow-acting virus; sometimes, the symptoms might not even show up until years after the initial infection. That said, once the disease takes hold, FIV can severely weaken your cat's immune system, making your feline friend susceptible to a number of serious secondary infections.

With the appropriate treatment, infected cats in an indoor, stress-free environment can live comfortably for months or years before the disease reaches its chronic stages.

If your cat is infected with FIV, symptoms may not become apparent for months or years, or they could be intermittent. If your kitty is displaying any of the following symptoms, it could be suffering from the Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and require veterinary care to help prevent symptoms from becoming more severe.

Common symptoms of FIV include:

Can I catch an illness from my cat?

Yes, a few illnesses common among cats can be spread to people; these are called zoonotic illnesses. However, it's very uncommon to get sick from your pet. Nevertheless, you are at a higher risk if you have a weakened immune system. 

You don't have to give up your cat; you just need to take the proper measures recommended by your vet, such as keeping your cat indoors, ensuring your kitty's vaccinations and parasite prevention are up to date, and taking your cat to the vet for regular checkups. Below, we have provided a list of some of the most common cat illnesses that affect humans:

• Rabies
• Toxoplasmosis
• Hookworms
• Roundworms
• Cat scratch disease (caused by a bacterial infection in a cat's saliva)
• Salmonellosis

If your cat shows symptoms of a contagious illness, contact our Lincoln veterinarians. They have the expertise to diagnose and treat your pet.