My foster kitten had FIP. Are my cats at risk despite separation?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
I fostered a litter of kittens in oct 2017, and just heard that one of them died of FIP. I have 3 cats of my own. They were kept separated from the kittens at all times and we always washed our hands after handling the kittens, but should I be concerned about my cats coming down with it? My cats are all between the ages of 7-8, fully vaccinated and in good health.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on January 20th, 2018
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.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on July 9th, 2018
I'm so sorry that you lost a cat to FIP. FIP is not technically considered contagious. The virus that causes FIP is a corona virus that is very common in most cats that come from a cattery. We don't know why some cats with corona virus develop FIP and some don't, but we suspect it is because the virus mutates in some cats and turns into FIP. I am attaching a handout on FIP below for your reference. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951549 We do no think the virus lives longer than 3 months, so in order to be extra safe, some people will wait 3 months before getting another cat after they have lost a cat to FIP. Since it has been three years since your cat died of FIP, we would not expect there to be any corona virus left in your house if that was your only cat, so the fabric or fur shouldn't be any problem for Noushi. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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