Can cats get sick from human viruses? Is my FIV+ cat's URI serious?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
I have two questions: Can my cats catch a virus from me that would give them URI's? I have had a pretty bad infection going on, and now all of my cats are sneezing, wheezing etc. I also want to know if having an FIV + cat who has a metastatic intestinal cancer catching this virus is the emergency I see it as, even if he is hanging tough as much as he can?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 28th, 2019
Cats shouldn't catch any human viruses, it's probably just coincidence that everybody starting getting ill at the same time - or it could be related to allergens in the air. Cats with FIV have a harder time in general with any infection - if your positive cat is having a rough time, he may need to be hospitalized for oxygen, fluids, medications, or antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on July 4th, 2017
I'm assuming you're talking about a human member of the household, in which case Thumbs should not be at risk for developing a respiratory illness. Typical human cold viruses like rhinovirus and adenoviruses cannot be transmitted to cats and most of the bacteria that cause bronchitis are not contagious.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
I have an FIV+ cat, and a member of the Household has chronic bronchitis, and maybe presenting with cold symptoms. Do I have to worry about my cat getting a respiratory illnness with his comprimised immune system?
I'm assuming you're talking about a human member of the household, in which case Thumbs should not be at risk for developing a respiratory illness. Typical human cold viruses like rhinovirus and adenoviruses cannot be transmitted to cats and most of the bacteria that cause bronchitis are not contagious.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is five years old and has FIV. Today he started showing symptoms of an upper respiratory infection including sneezing and clear discharge from one of his eyes. Should I immediately take him to see the vet or wait? How can I care for him best a
Poor Shadow! I strongly recommend contacting your veterinarian for an exam, possible diagnostics (for example a fecal, blood work, and/or x-rays), and medication. My biggest concern is that since he is FIV positive that his immune system will have a harder time fighting off the infection so the quicker you can get him on some medications the better. Also you can also get him started on Viralys gel which will sometimes help to boost his immune system during these difficult times. I hope he starts to feel better! Please feel free to contact us again on the forum or set up a consultation if you have additional questions or want more information. Thank you.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a cat 10years old he is FIV positive, he has uri infection today is his 11 day in treatment and he doesn’t look any better. He was on clavamox for 7 days now is on Doxycycline for the last 4 days. I syringe feed him twice daily, also give him
Hi and thanks for using Boop by Petco! Sorry to hear about Silvester. Since he has FIV, the recovery period may take a little longer for this URI. If this was a suspected or confirmed herpes virus infection URI, I would advise using famciclovir if it doesn't start resolving. Famvir is an antiviral and helps to disrupt viral replication, thus directly treating the viral infection if that is the cause. Another thing I would try is humidified air treatments. Turn on a hot shower in a bathroom and let the room fill with the steam. Place Silvester in there for 10-15 minute treatments. This will help to hydrate his respiratory system. Sounds like everything else you are doing is exactly what I would recommend. I definitely prefer Doxy especially in these stubborn URI cases. You may also consult your vet about using some type of saline nasal drops also. Good luck with Silvester. I hope he gets over this soon. Another thing I always try to address is the intestinal parasite issue
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I want to adopt a cat from the rescue, first when I looked at the cat I didn’t know it was in a kitty cold unit, second when I went to pick him up they tell me it has developed into a upper respiratory infection and I can take him home treat him with
Thanks for visiting Boop by Petco. This is an undesirable situation to be in when adopting a new kitten. You did the right thing by leaving kitty there becuase upper respiratory infections are highly contagious. However, if your cats are up to date on their FVRCP vaccine, this greatly reduces the chances of them getting ill also. There is a small chance that the virus can survive on fomite objects, but typically it is spread through direct contact or through aerosolized droplets from oral secretions, similar to the flu or common cold. You can change your clothing just to be safe, before coming in contact with your cats and home and just wash your clothing as you normally would, and monitor your cats for any symptoms. However, like I said, there is a low chance of transmission this way. Upper respiratory infections are very common in cats, so once the kitty is free of illness, wait about 10 days before considering adopting him. He also should be up to date on his vaccinations. Once
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Vet thinks the FVRCP vaccine my cat received 2 weeks ago triggered underlying FIV- We are waiting on confirmation of Western Blot. 2 weeks after FVRCP vaccine she has loss of appetite, lethargy, stopped jumping and playing. She has been in 2x this we
This seems unusual - FIV is a viral disease and vaccines would not be considered a trigger. It’s difficult to know whether or not these symptoms are related to FIV without knowing the results of the confirmatory test or the other lab work. If she does have FIV it’s possible that she could live a normal life span although she will be predisposed to infections in the future. Your vet may want to run more tests to look for infections.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Our cat we adopted through petco sponsored shelter was FIV + at 6 months. I was told he could have out grown the virus. Well now at 13 months, I’ve noticed the past four days he hasn’t been eating his dry food at all, drinks water when I put him at t
I agree, those symptoms are concerning for intestinal, oral, or kidney disease. Unless the test was falsely positive, cats don't outgrow FIV. There is also no cure for the virus, though not all cats that have it will develop disease. I would recommend that Tiger get checked out by the vet. After a thorough physical exam and review of his symptoms, the vet may recommend bloodwork, urinalysis, or x-rays to see what is going on. Here is more information on FIV in cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feline-immunodeficiency-virus-fiv-in-cats/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My poor kitty has had a URI for a couple months. He has been through 4 rounds of oral antibiotics and a convenia injection as well as tobramucin, erythromycin and terramycin ointments. He was getting worse instead of better so we had bloodwork done.
Please consult this website for more information regarding FIV- https://www.catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/retrovirus-management-guidelines https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-upper-respiratory-infection
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
How do cats catch colds? I have an indoor cat that never comes into contact with other animals but I do have friends with pets, Can my cat pick up a virus from the humans who visit me?
That is a great question. Upper respiratory infections in cats are highly contagious. If one of your friends has a sick cat at their home, they can spread the infection to your cat if they have any contamination on their hands or clothes. Your cat can also contract an infection if they are in close enough contact to any outdoor cats that are sick, such as a sick cat sneezing near your open window, etc. You can picture children on a school setting and how easy it is to spread a virus...it is the same with cats.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Bunlot has FIV. He recently lost energy, stopped eating, and started breathing heavily so we took him to the vet who said his white blood cell count was low and prescribed antibiotics and blood supplements. He finished the course of medicine but was
Radiographs of your cat's chest and abdomen will reveal any abnormalities with his heart, lungs, will show if there is fluid accumulated, any tumors or anatomical changes that signal heart or pulmonary disorders or other conditions that could be adversely affecting him. You can try to stimulate his appetite by adding some water or low sodium chicken broth to dry food, mixing in a little wet food and'or warming his food. Warming makes it more aromatic and therefore more appealing to a cat with a depressed appetite. It is vital that he continues to eat, as cats can experience liver damage after only a couple of days if not eating. Work closely with your vet, call and ask questions, get him in for rechecks, this helps them keep on top of Bunlot's condition.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
4 year indoor male tabby stopped eating&drinking, lethargic. No fever, no vomiting, no diarrhea, no depression. Eats litter crystals. WBC 3.3, RBC 2.19. Not getting worse or better. Vet says it's FIP or FIV or FelV and ELISA test will show it. He's v
Ongoing chronic viral infections seldom present with a fever unless there is an additional infection due to poor immune system. Fever is an early response by the body to fight off a new infection - if this fails such as with FIP/FELV/FIV and the immune system fails to clear the infection long term there will not be a fever as a result of these infections. I strongly recommend testing given the ongoing, vague signs of debility which is common with all of these diseases
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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