How do cats contract FIP?
| top There are two ways a cat may contract FIP: 1. From other cats with FIP. This scenario is probably uncommon. Even if a cat has FIP, it probably has or had FECV first, and could be shedding either FECV or FIPV in its feces. However, FIPV usually stays in tissues outside of the gut (such as the brain or kidneys), while the FECV is lives in the gut lining cells. If a cat with FIP sheds a coronavirus, it is usually of the FECV type. 2. From a mutation during FECV infection. This is the more common occurrence. Mutations from FECV to FIPV occur in about 5% of kittens with FECV. The incidence of the mutation is probably lower in older cats.
