How long is the incubation period for FIP in a newly adopted kitten?

I'm sorry to hear that! FIP is a nasty disease in cats, so I definitely understand your worry. I will try to answer your questions and give you some basic information about how this disease works - it's a bit more complicated than most other infectious diseases! FIP is caused by a coronavirus - coronaviruses themselves are extremely common in cats, and almost all kittens are exposed to them at some point. In a very few cats, the virus mutates into a much more dangerous form and causes FIP - this seems to be partly related to genetics, but it's not fully understood why this happens in some cats but not others. So although the coronavirus can be passed from cat to cat, FIP is not really considered to be a contagious disease because most cats who are exposed to a coronavirus will never develop the more dangerous, mutated form that leads to FIP. So, the bottom line is that your kitten will probably be just fine. There isn't much you can do at this point, since there is no diagnostic test for FIP. Although a vaccine does exist, it isn't recommended by the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) because it hasn't been shown to be effective and can actually cause illness in some cases. I would recommend preventing your kitten from having any further contact with your friend's cat to be on the safe side, and monitoring your kitty for any signs of a problem - but it's very likely that she will be just fine :)

Hello. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Great question. I personally would not be worried about your cats contracting FIP. The coronavirus is found in the saliva and feces of infected cats. Therefore, cat-to-cat contact and exposure to feces in litter boxes are the most common modes of infection. Contaminated food or water dishes, bedding, and your clothing may also serve as sources of infection. It doesn't sound like this is a concern based on your description of how you separated the cats, washed your hands, etc. The coronavirus can live in the environment anywhere from 3-7 weeks. After 3 weeks, however, the number of virus particles present is probably too small to cause infection. Many disinfectants will kill the virus, including household bleach diluted 1:32 in water (1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water). So, you may want to do a thorough cleaning of the area where you housed the kittens and it may be best for you to not get any foster kittens for at least a month to try to prevent the new ones from getting infected. Hope this answers your questions. Best wishes.

Another option would be to consider adopting a healthy older cat. Most cats with FIP are diagnosed before 2 years of age. If you find a 3 year old cat (which the shelters are pretty full of!) that's healthy (based on the assessment of the shelter vet) you should be able to feel confident that it does not have FIP. Hope that is helpful.

So FIP is technically from a virus, however, most cats are exposed at some point in their life (especially if from a cattery or shelter). However, only a select few will mutate to become FIP. We don’t know why this happens, or how to prevent it. Could it happen again? Yes. But very unlikely. I have been a veterinarian for 11 years and have only had 1 FIP kitten patient. I know it’s easier said then done to not worry. Sometimes I find it helpful to give myself some grieving time and my worries seem to be less the more “ready” I am for a new Pet. I’m so sorry about your kitten, and I hope your new addition is spunky and healthy for many many years!! Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I'm sorry to hear that you lost a cat to FIP. It certainly is a devastating disease. Unfortunately, there isn't a simple answer to your question. Since we never know which cat's bodies will transform FeCoV into FIP, we have no way of protecting those cats. Most cats have been exposed to FeCoV. So, a new cat that you adopt may already have FeCoV. And your cats may have cleared their FeCoV infection, so they may not have anything to pass along. I am attaching a handout with more information about FIP and FeCoV below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951549 I wish there was a simple answer to your question, but this is a very complicated disease and unfortunately, we simply don't know enough to answer your question. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Unfortunately FIP has a grave prognosis. Some cats only survive a few days to weeks after their diagnoses, others a couple of months. It is not contagious so you shouldn't have to separate the two cats in less the healthy cat is preventing Parker from getting to food/water/litter box. In fact separating them could cause other issues such as urinating outside the litter box, excessive vocalization and aggression toward each other if they are re-introduced.

Jaundice is seen as a yellow discoloration of the skin (inside of ears, conjunctiva and sclera of eyes, part of skin with thin hair). A blood test would be a more sensitive way to diagnose it. Respiratory issues may be related to the respiratory tract or cardiac system. Accumulation of fluid inside the abdomen (pushing against the diaphragm) or in the pleural space (around the lungs) can be confirmed by a physical examination, and eventually a radiograph or an ultrasound. Unfortunately a veterinary check up or at least some pictures of him (by requesting a consultation with us) would be quite useful to rule out the presence of jaundice and eventually abdominal/thoracic swelling. How old is your cat? is he otherwise fine? has he got any other sign? There are many questions that may be worthy to discuss in a consultation..