Infectious Upper Respiratory Complex  Feline Herpesvirus, Feline Calicivirus, and Chlamydia Psittaci Infectious Upper Respiratory Infection, URI

Affected Animals:  Young kittens, unvaccinated adult cats, and cats kept in multiple-cat households or catteries. The diseases are usually worse in young kittens and immunocompromised animals.

Information and Overview:  Upper respiratory infections are a common illness in felines, especially young kittens. Highly contagious to other cats, upper respiratory infections typically are accompanied by "cold-like" symptoms such as sneezing, discharge from the nose, and lack of appetite. The cause of feline respiratory infections is usually viral. Generally, kittens are more severely affected by these infections than adult cats. Treatment of upper respiratory disease is aimed at supporting the nutritional and fluid requirements of the kitten. Medications will alleviate some of the symptoms but do not eliminate the virus. Fortunately for most cats, the signs of disease last for only five to seven days. However, even after a cat has recovered from the disease, it may continue to carry and shed the virus for months to years. Vaccines are available to protect cats and kittens from upper respiratory disease, and are recommended especially for households and housing facilities containing multiple cats.

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