Chronic upper respiratory disease — often called cat flu — affects cats throughout their lives following initial herpesvirus or calicivirus infection. Management focuses on reducing flare frequency, controlling bacterial complications, and maintaining comfort.
Cats with chronic herpesvirus disease experience repeated bouts of sneezing, painful eye ulcers, nasal congestion, and reduced appetite that impair quality of life significantly. Shelter cats are particularly vulnerable because of stress-triggered viral reactivation in group housing. Welfare management involves minimising stressors through feliway diffusers, stable group structures, and individual feeding stations. Antiviral therapy with famciclovir reduces clinical severity during outbreaks. Regular ophthalmological monitoring identifies corneal ulcers before they progress to stromal loss.