American Shorthair Cat

　　Does Not Infect Other Animals

　　Feline infectious peritonitis is an immune-mediated disease caused by infection with feline coronavirus. It is a highly contagious viral infectious disease that can spread among individual cats, leading to large-scale outbreaks and deaths within cat populations.

　　When a cat is infected with this virus, it is shed through feces, saliva, nasal mucus, and eye discharge. Other cats become infected by contacting these excretions or secretions, or through food, furniture, cat litter, feeding dishes, and other items contaminated by them. Fortunately, feline coronavirus does not infect other species such as dogs. Relatively speaking, young adult cats under four years old are more prone to contracting feline infectious peritonitis, especially in groups of cats raised together, where the infection and incidence rates are much higher than in individually housed cats. Once feline coronavirus leaves the cat’s body, it is quite fragile and can be killed by most commonly used disinfectants. Therefore, regularly disinfecting the cat’s living environment can effectively prevent the virus from spreading.