Adopting a cat with cat flu

[RedorBlack]

Hi everyone, looking for some advice. I have been looking for a cat for a while and have been contacted by a local adoption centre to see if I would take a kitten with cat flu. I am a previous cat owner but no experience of this.

What do I need to know or consider?

Definitely cat flu and not FIV ?

Cat flu is usually quite short term. So a slightly poorly, under the weather cat. Would need cossetting.

Have you had a cat before?

My kitten had cat flu when we got him, numerous vet trips and £300 in vet fees later he was cured and never had that kind of problem since, he's now 5. It probably took about 5 weeks to clear but he was fine in himself.

He had his vaccines a little later than usual as he had to be fully recovered first.

My rescue cat caught cat flu as a newborn kitten and she was fine when she came to me at 16 weeks. She still has the cat flu eye and sometimes wipes her gunk over the place (sorry for the explanation) but other than that she’s in great health. In fact she’s the healthiest cat we’ve got.

Thanks all.

Yes I was adopted by a stray who sadly passed about 10 years ago and have been waiting for my kids to grow old enough to understand they are not toys before getting another one. She was remarkably healthy so never came across this before.

They definitely said cat flu but I am going to call them in the morning to see what else I can find out. I guess my main concerns are potential impact on other cats (there are a few in the area) and will Catteries take cats who carry cat flu (assuming we are ever allowed on holiday again!)

Mine had cat flu at about a year old. All 3 caught it and sneezed up my windows quite a bit but recovered fine by themselves and no reoccurrence.

Our first car had had cat flu. He also had a weepy eye frequently following it, which we just wiped clean occasionally, and would sneeze off and on, but he lived otherwise healthily until he was 19.

It's definitely worth giving them a call.
I guess if the cat is available for re homing then it is relatively well, but they are saying it either has long term effects, or you need to be watchful in case it has effects in the future. I had a cat that ended up with a slightly damaged eye from an abscess caused by the flu. It used to get worse if she was ill, or 'down'. But day to day the cat was fine.

I also housed a stray who had the flu, who just needed care. He was very snotty and struggled to eat.

Here is a good link: www.cats.org.uk/northherts/feature-pages/about-cat-flu

One of my 5yo rescues had cat flu as a tiny kitten. She's generally very healthy but has occasional flare ups and is a bit more prone to chest infections. She sneezes a lot!

She spends less time at the vet than her sister (scrappy Tabby cat).

Your kitten should be absolutely fine.

Sorry, I got distracted. My stray was poorly when he came inside, but then he got better and was fine!
He's still going now, not with me as he hated another cat but he went to a happy home where is is very healthy, if a bit fatindulged.

Mine came to me as a cat flu cat but he doesn't actually have it. He had a tooth embedded in his nose which was making him sneezy and snotty pulled the tooth out and he's fine. Gets the odd runny eye on the side that was affected

Just as a note, this will have to be declared on insurance, so may affect future claims for respiratory type things.

I really wouldn't let it put you off though personally, my cat that had it, is the healthier of the two now. Catteries don't ask about it in my experience.