Feline panleukopenia is a highly contagious and frequently fatal viral disease. Vaccination has made it rare in well-vaccinated populations but it remains a threat to unprotected cats.
Cats with panleukopenia experience severe vomiting, diarrhoea, immune collapse, and in kittens neurological signs from cerebellar hypoplasia when infected in utero. Death from dehydration and secondary infection causes considerable suffering. The disease is largely preventable through vaccination. Outbreaks in unvaccinated rescue populations cause mass suffering and mortality. Ensuring complete vaccination coverage in cat populations is one of the most impactful individual welfare interventions available.