Question:
Hello:

My boyfriend has a feral cat that is attached to him .... he is feeding him and allowing him in his house and the cat sleeps with him however the cat does not like any other strangers. The cat seems ill with respiratory problems of sneezing, nose discharge with crust and his eyes at time will be buldging and he looks ill.....it will clear up after a few days and the cats seems better.

The cat has never seen a vet because my boyfriend says he doesn't know how he would ever be able to get him there or how the vet would even handle him.....

My questions is - if the cat has the herpes virus is that transmittable to cats that have had all their vaccinations........I have 2 house cats.

If we can get his cat to a vet get him neuteured and vaccinated and treated for his condition would he still be able to transmit this disease that will likely never go away but be treatable with proper medication.

Would the cat be vet approved to come to Canada from the U.S.

Thanks
Cher

Answer:
Your boyfriend is a good guy to take care of this cat. I especially like the part where they sleep together, so sweet.

First, he should keep the cat inside, if at all possible. Cat might be a little restless at the beginning, particularly if he is not neutered. Confine him to a couple of rooms at first, if he is too terrified by all that space. Energetic playtime and other bonding stuff will help, always at the cat's invitation. And keep that chow coming!

The cat MUST see a vet. He needs antibiotics for what sounds like a respiratory infection, which is quite common and easily cured. He'll probably also need ointment for his eye, which may be a different infection (I have seen cats with eyes completely destroyed by infection, so time is of the essence).

When the cat is healthy, he can have his vaccinations (make sure he gets rabies vaccine because I believe you need this at the border) and be neutered. The result will be a happy, healthy cat, more relaxed, more attached, less likely to spray or fight.

Tell your boyfriend to call the vet and explain the situation, that this is probably a semi-feral and may be a handful. Believe me, all vets have experience treating freaked-out animals (and some of them aren't even ferals . Your boyfriend will need a carrying cage anyway, if he's bringing this guy to Canada. They are cheap; tell him not to buy it too big, just big enough for the cat to stand up and turn around. They feel more secure in a small space.

If it is herpes (the cycle you described seems a bit short), he will always have it. One of my cats carries ocular herpes and has an outbreak about once a year. None of the other moggies has caught it. So yes it is infectious, but apparently not that easy to catch. During an outbreak, you need to manage the secondary infection, which usually requires antibiotics. I should add that said cat is extremely healthy and rarely catches anything else. But all this is moot, because it may not be herpes at all.

Let us know what happens.

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