Picture this situation; you have a kitten that you love so much, you take it out to a shelter shortly before bringing it back. However, to your surprise upon getting home your cat refuses to eat and not just that but it begins to vomit and diarrhoea. Concerned with this sudden change in behaviour you rush your kitten to the local veterinary and there you are met with the biggest surprise of your life.
Your kitten is diagnosed with Feline Pan Leukopenia which is abbreviated as {FPV}. Fortunately for you, you just managed to get your kitten the much needed attention and more so and on time. The Kitten manages to survive albeit with great support and care. However, that does not take away your fears about the illness which befall your cat and whether that can reoccur again or not.
What Is The FPV and How Does It Affect Cats?
FPV which some people refer to as the kitten killer virus is a highly contagious and deadly disease found in cats. Even though the disease affects cats in general, it is mostly found in kittens. The FPV virus in cats attacks cat cells which are rapidly growing and dividing which is why kittens are mostly affected the virus.
This virus affects the lymph nodes of the cat, the bone marrow, developing foetuses and the intestines. The name of the virus panleukopenia comes from FPV damaging effect on the white blood cells used by the body in fighting infections.
Which Cats are Likely to Be Affected by FPV?
If you keep a cat or a kitten as a pet, it is important for you to find out which cats are at the highest risk of exposure to the FPV. According to research, every cat and kitten stands a big risk of contracting FPV since it is everywhere in the environment. Although all cats are at the risk of contracting the FPV virus, the young kittens and unvaccinated cats are the highest risk of contracting the kitten killer virus.
The good thing is that the kitten killer virus has a vaccination. Thus, all you have to do to keep your kitten safe from this virus is take it to the local vet for vaccination and it will be good to go. The other thing you need to note is that the kitten killer virus is highly concentrated in areas where there are many cats.
Places like pet shops and other areas with large concentration of cats are possible centres of this virus. There are many ways through which the kitten killer virus can be spread. One of these ways is contact with the feces of the infected cats and other body fluids like urine and all nasal secretions. Infected mother cats can also pass the virus to their new born kittens which results in the kitten being born with the infection.
Conclusion
The Kitten killer virus is a very dangerous condition capable of ending the life of any kitten. The virus is very infectious but the good thing is that it can be prevented by periodic vaccination.
