Feline herpesvirus causes chronic upper respiratory and eye disease in cats. Understanding management reduces recurrent welfare impacts in affected animals.
Feline herpesvirus welfare impacts span from mild recurrent upper respiratory signs to severe ocular disease causing chronic pain and vision impairment. Corneal ulceration from herpesvirus causes genuine acute pain — cats with corneal ulcers squint, avoid light, and show clear discomfort behaviors. Recurrent respiratory episodes cause nasal congestion and discharge that impairs breathing, smell (critical for feline food motivation), and quality of life during flares. Stress management is particularly important for herpesvirus welfare: reactivation is stress-triggered, meaning that chronic environmental stressors perpetuate a cycle of flares and welfare impairment. Reducing stressors through environmental enrichment, resource provision in multi-cat households, and appropriate human-cat interaction reduces reactivation frequency and improves welfare.