Cat Health
FIP
What I've learned caring for cats with FIP, in plain language. This reflects personal experience, not veterinary advice — please talk to your vet if you suspect it.
< 2%
of cats carry the mutation
Not contagious
to other cats or animals
Genetic
a cat must be born with the gene
No litter-box spread
cannot pass through shared litter
FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) is a mutation of the feline coronavirus. It is not contagious to other felines or any other animal, and cannot be transferred through the sharing of litter boxes.
The good news
Treatment exists — and it works
Before 2020 there was no cure for FIP. Thanks to research from scientists at Gilead Sciences and Dr. Niels Pedersen at UC Davis, treatment has been available since 2020.
GS-441524
the antiviral treatment
93% success
if symptoms are caught early
84 days
the full course must be run
FIP is most common in kittens 4–10 months old, but it can affect very young kittens, adult cats, and senior cats as well.
Four presentations
Types of FIP
Tap a type to see its symptoms and how it's diagnosed.
Wet FIP
Symptoms
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Distended abdomen
- Pleural effusion (fluid in the lungs) — labored breathing will be present
- If pleural effusion is present, the lungs must be tapped.
Never tap fluid out of the abdomen.
Diagnosis — A CBC and full panel, or fluid removed from the abdomen confirming a yellow, straw-colored fluid.
Dry FIP
Symptoms
- “Skeletor” body — angular face, boney spine
- Tacky fur
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Rapid weight loss
- Jaundice
- Dehydration
- Resistant diarrhea
- Recurring vomiting
Diagnosis — Harder to diagnose than other types — a CBC and full panel must be completed to accurately diagnose.
Neuro FIP
Symptoms
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of limb function (generally back legs first)
- Wobbly walk
- Often sits in a “hunched” position
- Complete immobility
- Seizures
Diagnosis — A CBC and full blood panel.
Ocular FIP
Symptoms
- Pupils that stay dilated
- Pupils that involuntarily constrict and dilate
- Inflammation of the eyes
- Cloudiness of the eyes
- Blindness
Diagnosis — A CBC and full blood panel.
Watch for these
FIP triggers
-
Spay/neuter surgery
The most common trigger — symptoms can appear anywhere from 2 hours to 2 days after surgery.
-
Environmental changes
-
Illness
-
Any type of surgery
-
Stressful situations