Protecting Your Cat: Overview of Feline Distemper Cleanup

A relatively common disease among the feline population is feline distemper. Feline distemper is caused by one of another related viruses. The three types of feline distemper viruses are CPV 2a, CPV 2b, and CPV 2c.

A virus capable of causing feline distemper is both highly contagious and resilient. Feline distemper is caused by a type of parvovirus. As astounding as this may be, the distemper virus can survive for years in your home or another location where an infected cat has been. The bottom line is that if a cat infected with feline distemper has been in your home, you need to consider seriously obtaining professional feline distemper cleanup assistance. The odds of you being able to eliminate feline distemper contamination in your home on your own is slim. 

Impact of Feline Distemper on a Cat

A feline distemper infection can prove fatal to a cat. Feline distemper attacks a cat’s white blood cells, the cells in a mammal’s body responsible for fighting off disease and illness. Thus, not only will an infected cat be battling this type of initial infection, feline distemper opens up the possibility that a cat will face other opportunistic diseases.

A cat infected with feline distemper is not given an automatic death sentence. With prompt medical care and treatment, a cat can survive a feline distemper infection in a good many cases. With that said, a feline distemper infection is a miserable experience for a cat, even if he or she survives. 

Prompt medical attention cannot be understated. There are cases in which a cat dies within 24 hours of contracting feline distemper. The treatment of feline distemper can include one or a combination of the following:

• IV antibiotics
• Anti-emetics
• Intravenous fluids (including electrolytes)
• Vitamin B injections
• Plasma transfusion
• Whole blood transfusion

A cat needs to be isolated during the treatment process.

The best course to take to address the prospect of feline distemper is to make sure your cat appropriately is vaccinated. Your vet can explain to you how and when a cat needs to be vaccinated against a feline distemper infection. (Dogs can also contract distemper; however, canine and feline distemper viruses are unique and these different types of furry companions cannot cross-infect one another.)

In most cases, if a cat survives a feline distemper infection, he or she is apt to develop an immunity to further infection. This doesn’t occur in 100% of cases and doesn’t eliminate the need to eradicate the virus from the cat’s home.

How the Feline Distemper Virus Is Transmitted

As mentioned a moment ago, the feline distemper virus is hardy. It is very resilient and can survive for years on objects in a home. The feline distemper virus is transmitted in a number of ways, the most common being:

• Direct contact with an infected cat
• Food dishes 
• Water dishes
• Bedding
• Litter boxes
• Furniture
• Other objects in a home

In addition, if a cat owner has been out and about and makes contact with another feline that is infected with distemper, the virus is likely to attach to clothing. When that individual returns home, he or she very well may infect his or her own cat with the distemper virus. 

Some cat owners decline to get their felines vaccinated against the distemper virus because their cats exclusively reside in the house. As was just noted, being exclusively a house cat is not a completely foolproof protection against the feline distemper virus.

Cats Most Susceptible to Feline Distemper

In theory, any cat can become infected with the feline distemper virus. With that said, some cats are more susceptible to infection than others. These include:

• Kittens between the ages of two to six months
• Pregnant cats
• Cats with compromised immune systems

Symptoms of Feline Distemper Infection

There are a number of commonplace symptoms associated with feline distemper. These are:

• Diarrhea 
• Vomiting
• Appetite loss
• Fever
• Self-biting
• Seizures 
• Low white blood cell count

Hire a Professional Feline Distemper Cleanup Company

As discussed earlier, feline distemper cleanup is a highly challenging task. Thus, if you have an issue with feline distemper at your home, you need to consider very seriously retaining the services of an infectious disease cleanup professional.

A feline distemper cleaning company has the skills, materials, equipment, and resources to thoroughly eradicate the dangerous virus. This includes virus particles that are tucked in truly difficult to reach areas in a home or other location. In addition, a professional utilizes an antimicrobial coating in the feline distemper cleaning process to leave surfaces in your home or other location protected against the virus for up to 90 days. 

If you have more than one cat, and one of your cats contracts feline distemper, you need to act quickly. You need to get immediate treatment for the infected cat and you need to have your other cat or cats checked to ascertain whether the infection has spread. You also need to remove all cats from your home until the feline distemper virus is eradicated.