Feline calicivirus is a highly contagious respiratory and oral disease that spreads rapidly in shelter environments, requiring active prevention and control to protect population welfare.
FCV oral ulceration causes significant pain that reduces eating and drinking, contributing to dehydration and secondary welfare decline. Cats with active oral ulcers may refuse food entirely due to pain on opening the mouth or touching the lesions. Pain management through analgesics and soft food is an essential welfare intervention alongside antiviral treatment. In shelter contexts, the welfare burden of outbreak control — isolation, handling stress, and potential euthanasia decisions — adds to the individual welfare costs of disease, creating management challenges that test the resources of even well-equipped facilities.