Can Kittens Get Parvo

Cats and dogs have their own separate species specific parvovirus strains.

Can kittens get parvo. Neither can mouse parvo spread to elephants or even humans. It is one of the deadliest viruses to cats. Kittens are more susceptible to parvo especially if exposed to an infected animal such as their mother. You might have heard of feline parvovirus parvo referred to as panleukopenia or feline distemper fpv.

Both cat s and kittens can get parvovirus. Can dogs get parvo from cats. While not the same as canine parvovirus it is referred to as parvo due to the similar symptoms. Cats can get parvo directly from contact with another cat who has it.

The virus that causes distemper in cats. Parvo in cats is passed into the urine and feces of the infected cat during the infection itself but also in the six weeks after the cat s recovery as well. Like many viruses parvo in cats has different strains varying in deadliness. People who handle an infected cat or an infected cat s bedding food or water dish can carry the virus to the next cat they handle.

Cats are most susceptible as kittens from 4 to 12 weeks of age or even as unvaccinated adults. It is highly contagious and cats should be vaccinated as kittens and have booster shots every year. Can your dog catch parvo from a cat. Both viruses attack cells within the pet s bone marrow.

It is actually a virus called panleukopenia but is sometimes called feline parvo because the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of canine parvo virus. The cat strain called feline panleukopenia virus fpv is a significant disease threat amongst the feline community but it cannot be transferred to canines. Parvo in cats is different than the parvo virus that dogs get. Once your cat has contracted fpv and lived to tell the tale it is unlikely that they will catch it again.

But parvo can also be transmitted by fleas that have fed off of an infected cat which is why it s very difficult to prevent your kitten from being exposed to this deadly disease. However generally kittens are easily more susceptible to the viral infection as they do not have have the development of active immunity and they do not have a strong enough immune system to battle all the clinical signs that occur. The parvo virus is tough. Parvo in cats is easily transmissible from an infected cat to a susceptible cat most commonly through the feces and urine.

In other words canine parvo cannot spread to cats. Parvovirus can even affect unborn kittens while they are still in the womb.