Upper respitory problems

Question
Hi..
Could upper respitory problems kill a kitten or cat?

Thanks...Let me know

Answer
This is too broad a question to answer yes or no. The problem is that there are both serious upper respiratory infections which can, in fact, kill a cat, and also mild viral infections (similar to the common cold in humans) which cannot, in and of themselves, lead to death BUT they can weaken a cat's immune system to the point where it would not be able to fight off a secondary infection.

In particular, cats are subject to a ghastly and always fatal virus called FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) which is present in a non-lethal form in probably more than 75% of the world's felines.  If there is some physical stress or the immune system is weakened by another infection, this virus can somehow be triggered to mutate. . . no one has yet figured out exactly why it happens in some cats and not in others that are exposed to the same stress or infection, but it does.

So, the upshot is that even if your cat lives alone and has no exposure to other cats, there's a 75% chance that he has already got the nonlethal form in his system. Where it will most happily sit causing no trouble whatsoever -- as it does in most cats.  But do you really want to open the door and say "hey, come on in" to it by letting another illness go untreated?

I thought not!

So please, if your cat has an upper respiratory problem, take it to a vet and follow his/her advice.

Hope this helps

iris