FIP develops from mutation of a common feline coronavirus. Understanding transmission, risk factors, and prevention helps cat owners protect vulnerable cats.
FIP prevention requires understanding the coronavirus biology that underlies the disease. Since FIP arises from mutation of ubiquitous FCoV rather than direct cat-to-cat transmission of virulent virus, conventional isolation does not prevent FIP but does reduce FCoV prevalence in multi-cat settings. Reducing stress, maintaining optimal nutrition, and minimizing concurrent illness reduces the risk of FCoV mutation to FIP in infected individuals. Multi-cat household management to reduce FCoV fecal-oral transmission — through individual litter boxes, regular cleaning, and good husbandry — reduces the infectious pressure on individual cats. Antiviral treatment availability has transformed FIP from a uniformly fatal disease to a manageable condition for many affected cats, reducing the ultimate welfare harm of FIP diagnosis dramatically.