A cat's life - infectious diseases in young cats
Project overview
Participants
More related research
Global goals
- 3. Good health and well-being
Short summary
The A Cat’s Life project investigates why kittens die or become ill early in life. By studying infections, risk factors and transmission pathways in cat breeding catteries, the project aims to generate knowledge and practical recommendations that can increase survival in young cats.
Project description
Infectious diseases are a major challenge in cat breeding, where upper respiratory infections and feline respiratory disease (“cat flu”) are common. One third of Swedish breeders report that their cats experience eye infections or respiratory symptoms within a year. The A Cat’s Life project aims to identify the causes of mortality and disease in kittens and young cats – and to develop practical recommendations that can improve survival.
Our hypothesis is that many cases could be prevented through increased knowledge of pathogens, risk factors and routes of transmission. The project includes a survey of breeders to collect information on mortality in young cats and associated risk factors. Free necropsy examinations are offered for kittens up to the time of delivery to new owners in order to identify the causes of death. Sampling of young cats and older contact cats in breeding catteries, together with viral sequencing, will provide further information on the prevalence and dynamics of infections.
The results will be directly useful for practicing veterinarians and cat breeders, with the goal of giving more kittens a healthy start in life.
Collaborations
In addition to participants from SLU, Annika Kozok (AniCura Djursjukhuset Albano) is also part of the research group.