What it is
The disease is caused by a parvovirus that is unusually hardy: it stays infectious in the environment for many months and shrugs off many ordinary cleaning products. It spreads through faeces, objects, hands and shoes, so it can reach a cat that never goes outdoors.
The virus attacks cells that divide quickly: the lining of the gut and the bone marrow. A damaged gut can no longer hold on to fluid, and without white blood cells the body is left with no defence against bacteria. If a pregnant cat is infected, her kittens can be born with an underdeveloped cerebellum and later walk unsteadily.
It is easy to mistake for an ordinary stomach upset, but a kitten's condition can worsen within hours. Ask your vet how to protect your cat, and take a new kitten to a vet early.
Signs you may notice
- Suddenly starts vomiting
- Diarrhoea, sometimes with blood
- Not eating or drinking at all
- Very listless and weak
- Hunched, belly hurts
A cat suddenly becomes very listless, runs a fever, stops eating and drinking, vomits and has diarrhoea, sometimes with blood. It hunches up because its belly hurts and quickly loses fluid.
When to see a vet
A kitten or cat that has suddenly turned very listless and is vomiting and has diarrhoea needs a vet immediately, day or night. Phone the clinic before you set off and say it may be a contagious disease.
This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own cat's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.