Expert: Jessica - 8/11/2009

Question
my cat andy is a white long haired gorgeous male.. i recently rescued 3 kittens who i nursed to health.. now my cat andy who ive had about 6 years, has similar symptoms.. he has a constant drool.. its thick and smily.. white in color.. he seems to have a runny nose and runny/glazed eyes...also the kittens seem to have no voice... and recently my other cat fritz who ive had about 5 years has suddenly shown a weak voice what is wrong??how do i help him??

Answer
Hi Camille.  It sounds like the kittens probably have a contagious germ that your other two kitties have as well.  There are a number of possibilities.  One of the germs that causes symptoms similar to what you’re describing is a virus called calici.  Some of the most common symptoms are watery eyes, drooling and bath breath due to sores in the mouth, sneezing and sometimes loss of voice.  There is another virus called feline herpes that can cause similar symptoms but tends to cause thicker eye and nasal discharge.  It is possible that your two kitties contracted these viral illnesses from the kittens, although most cats contract them as kittens themselves, and go on to carry them for the rest of their lives.  During times of stress, such as when there are newcomers to the household or when they are exposed to additional virus, the infection they have been carrying all along can reactivate, and they will show symptoms again.

But there are other germs, including bacterial ones like bordatella and chlamydia that could be the potential cause of these symptoms.  Bacterial infections rarely will go away on their own, and they can lead to serious complications like pneumonia without antibiotic treatment.  So you should have a vet look at Andy and Fritz and any of the kittens who haven’t recovered.

Hope all are well soon!

Jessica