• Serious respiratory infection
• Appears often at the same time as the viral infection Rhinotracheitis
• It often causes serious ulcerations on the nose, mouth and tongue, and sometimes arthritis
• Transmitted through saliva, nasal and oral discharge, and feces
• Responsible for over 90 % of respiratory infections in cats (with Feline Rhinotracheitis)

• Bacterial infection of the upper respiratory system
• Symptoms similar to those of the Calcivirus
• In minor cases, there is a discharge inflammation of one or both eyes
• Also associated with more serious bacterial complications
• Transmitted through saliva, and discharge from the nose and eyes

• Similar to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), responsible for AIDS
• FIV cannot be transmitted to humans
• It gradually destroys the immune system of the cat, which becomes increasingly vulnerable to infections
• Transmitted through bite wounds and blood transfusions

• One of the most serious, eventually fatal disease in cats
• Transmitted only from one cat to another, through urine, tears, saliva, blood, feces, and from mother to kitten
• Some cats succumb quickly to secondary infections which can show up when the immune system is at its’ lowest
• A blood test makes it possible to detect the presence of the virus
• Occasionally a cat will test positive which, three months later, will appear negative, the virus having passed through the system

• A strong fever is generally the first symptom of this oftentimes-fatal disease, which strikes at lightning speed
• The virus quickly attacks bone marrow cells, the digestive and nervous systems, and intestines
• Symptoms are an abnormally depressive state, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, a need to drink with the inability to do so, and seizures
• A fast dehydration is followed by coma, then death
• Because of the briefness of the incubation period of the virus and speed of the development of the disease, death can come quickly; two or three days, even 24 hours, after the first vomiting
• The disease is highly infectious, and is transmitted through feces and urine, as well as from a mother cat to her kittens
• Responsible for a high death rate, especially among kittens
• If the cat survives the symptoms, he will usually live, although complete recovery can take weeks
• Fatal in unvaccinated kittens

• Fatal, however not a highly contagious disease (only occasionally, in its’ mutated form, through feces)
• The virus responsible for this disease, Coronavirus, can be found in many cats and normally causes only occasional and short-lived diarrhea in 10 % of the infected cats
• The virus moves form the intestines to the blood vessels and causes a serious inflammation, FIP
• The peritonitis is the membrane that covers the abdominal muscles; once the blood vessels of this wall are infected and inflamed, the treatment becomes extremely difficult and often useless, as the disease is fatal
• FIP comes in two forms :
• Effusive (wet) FIP is the most widespread form
• The attack is often fast; a cat can, in 24 hours, become lethargic, feverish, lose its appetite, lose weight, and suffer from vomiting and diarrhea
• The fur also becomes dull, but the most obvious and dramatic sign is an enormous abdomen, bloated and full with liquid, which causes breathing difficulties
• Non-Effusive (dry) FIP
  
• less common form and is often more difficult to diagnose
• The signs are similar to those of wet FIP, however, in the final phase, the cat can become disoriented, and develop blindness due to ocular hemorrhages and finally, convulsions
• The virus is transmitted by saliva and excrements
  

Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis

• A very contagious respiratory disease
• The symptoms are sneezes, loss of appetite, fever and an inflammation of the eyes
• The progression of the disease results in a nasal and ocular flow
• It can result in death from pneumonia in kittens
• Rhino is transmitted through saliva, as well as eye and nasal secretions

• Learn about stomatitis in cats with the following web site:
  Stomatitis in Cats

Feline chronic kidney disease

Learn about feline chronic kidney disease with the following web site:
Tanya’s comprehensive guide to feline chronic kidney disease

• The ringworm is a mycosis (parasitic fungal infection) which can also affect humans, particularly children, and dogs
• The resulting lesions are circular, red and scaly and itchy
• The cats affected are highly contagious
• The parasitic fungi don’t live on the skin, but in the hair, which results in hair loss
• As part of the treatment, all other cats in the household must be treated, and the household must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
• In a healthy cat, Ringworm will go away on its’ own in 2-4 months

• The cat if affected by two types of vermiform internal parasites
• nematodes (roundworms, like the ascaris)
• cestodes (flatworms, like the tapeworm)
• Symptoms are lethargy, anemia, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and sometimes even death
• Transmission is through the ingestion of worm larvae/eggs