Cat flu

Cat flu is not usually serious in healthy adult cats. But it can be serious, and even fatal, in kittens and adult cats with underlying illnesses, so it's important to take your cat to the vet if they are showing signs of cat flu.

Symptoms of cat flu

It can take as long as two weeks for signs of flu to appear. When it does, it can cause:

• runny eyes and nose
• sore throat
• mouth ulcers
• dribbling
• sneezing
• loss of voice
• fever
• lethargy
• reduced or loss of appetite

If your cat is showing signs of flu, contact your vet for advice. This is especially important if you have a kitten that is showing symptoms.

Cat flu treatment

Your vet may prescribe medications such as anti-inflammatories, decongestants and eye drops to relieve some of the symptoms of flu, and give you guidance on how to care for your cat at home.

Because cat flu is caused by viruses, antibiotics are not usually necessary, but your vet may prescribe them if they are concerned your cat may also have a bacterial infection. Swabs to identify the particular virus causing the flu are not usually necessary.

If your cat is very poorly and unable to eat, they may need to be admitted to hospital for care.

Vaccination

Thankfully, vaccinations for cat flu are available from your vet. Two doses of the vaccine, usually three to four weeks apart are needed initially, followed by regular boosters.

Is a vaccine always effective?

No vaccine gives complete protection against disease, but it's still worth vaccinating your cat as it will help to reduce symptoms even if they are infected.

The vaccine cannot prevent symptoms from occurring if your cat already has cat flu.

Anti-inflammatories

Anti-inflammatories are sometimes prescribed to relieve symptoms of cat flu. 

Lubricants and eye drops

Cat flu can cause eye ulcers in some cats. These can be very painful and can lead to permanent damage and loss of sight. Medicated eye drops or lubricants may be prescribed to treat sore eyes.

Take a look at our advice on how to give your cat eye drops.

Cat flu in kittens

Kittens can be seriously unwell with cat flu, and in some cases in can be fatal. Contact your vet as soon as you can if your kitten is showing symptoms.

Caring for a cat with cat flu

In most cases your vet will ask you to care for your pet at home – here’s some tips on caring for your cat. 

Reduce stress

Stress can make your cat's illness worse, so it's important to keep their life as stress-free as possible. Look out for the signs of stress in your cat and learn how to reduce this.

Wipe their eyes and nose

Gently wipe away discharge from the nose and eyes regularly using a cotton wool pad soaked in warm water.

Wiping your cat's eyes and nose will:

• help your cat feel better
• enable them to smell their food
• help them to breathe easier

Encourage them to eat and drink

Cats often lose their sense of smell and taste when they have cat flu. This means they often eat and drink less, which risks them becoming dehydrated.

Offer foods that are easy to eat and have strong smells. We suggest warm foods like:

• sardines
• pilchards
• roast chicken
• tuna

As well as keeping them hydrated, encouraging your cat to drink also helps to loosen catarrh (the mucus that builds up in the back of their nose and throat).

Cats that cannot eat may need to be hospitalised for treatment.

Help them breathe

Steam may help to loosen mucus in their airways. Letting your cat in the bathroom when you have a bath or shower can help them to breathe more easily.

Be sure to look out for any signs of stress and remove your cat from the room if they look worried.

What can happen if cat flu goes untreated?

Like human flu, once the virus has damaged the delicate lining of the nose and airways, bacterial infections can enter and cause complications, such as pneumonia. It's important that you contact a vet if you suspect your cat has flu.

Carriers of cat flu

After being infected with cat flu, many cats are left as carriers, which means they do not have any symptoms but can potentially infect other cats.

Some carrier cats occasionally have a runny eye or nose for a few days. Recurrences of flu can follow stressful events, such as a visit to the vet or the arrival of a new cat in the house.

Others are unlucky and are left with a permanent, lifelong, thick, runny nose, or 'chronic rhinitis' (inflammation of the nose lining). This happens because the delicate nasal lining has been damaged, allowing repeated bacterial infections for which antibiotics may provide only temporary relief.