How does feline infectious peritonitis occur

Feline infectious peritonitis is caused by the mutation of coronavirus. Most cats carry coronavirus, and sudden stressors such as fright, change of food, and seasonal changes can easily cause the coronavirus to mutate and trigger feline infectious peritonitis. Therefore, it is recommended that owners try to keep their cats in a quiet and comfortable environment, and avoid causing stress to the cats, thereby reducing the likelihood of infectious peritonitis.

Usually, feline infectious peritonitis is easily triggered under the following circumstances:

1. Stressful events can trigger feline infectious peritonitis

When cats experience stressful events, if they have coronavirus in their bodies, it can lead to mutation of the coronavirus and subsequently cause feline infectious peritonitis.

1. The more cats there are, the easier it is to trigger feline infectious peritonitis

Feline infectious peritonitis is mainly transmitted through contact with infected cats or their feces. It is often seen in closed spaces where many cats gather, such as catteries, animal shelters, and multi-cat households.

Therefore, to prevent cats from being infected, it is recommended to vaccinate cats regularly and reduce the chances of contacting other cats or their excrement.

1. Cats with low immunity are prone to triggering feline infectious peritonitis

When a cat's immunity is normal, the virus generally does not affect the cat and no symptoms are displayed. However, when a cat's immunity is compromised due to illness or stress, the virus can mutate into a form that causes feline infectious peritonitis, leading to symptoms such as weight loss, loss of appetite, increased body temperature, abdominal swelling with fluid, jaundice, kidney failure, etc.

Usually, stray cats, cats who frequently go outside, and those living in groups have a very high detection rate of coronavirus, reaching up to 80%.