How long before a calicivirus kitten is safe to bring home to my cat?

Question

I just found out a kitten i was going to adopt was just diagnosed with calicivirus. How long until it’s safe to bring this little guy home? I have a 2 year old cat who is fully vaccinated. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 9 lbs

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Once a cat is exposed to calicivirus, it will go through an incubation period of 2-6 days before developing clinical signs which typically last for 14-21 days. During this entire time, the cat will potentially be infectious to other cats. At a minimum, infected cats will shed virus in their bodily secretions for 2-3 weeks. Following apparent recovery from the disease, as many as half of all infected cats may develop a carrier state in which they will continue to shed the virus. In some of these cats the carrier state may only last for a few months, but in a small percentage of cats the carrier state may persist for life. Carrier cats may or may not show any signs of infection when they are actively shedding calicivirus and serve as an important source of infection to susceptible cats. I would say it would not be safe for you to bring the kitten home for at least one month. I would also recommend re-vaccinating your old cat with the FVRCP vaccine if it has not been given in the last 6 months to boost his immunity.

How long before a calicivirus kitten is safe to bring home to my cat?

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