Feline herpesvirus respiratory disease spreads rapidly in shelter environments, causing significant welfare harm that requires systematic prevention and management.
FHV respiratory disease in shelters creates a welfare spiral: stress causes reactivation, disease increases stress, which causes further reactivation. Affected cats experience sore throats, sinus congestion, and eye pain that reduces appetite and normal behavior. The shelter environment that triggers disease also impedes recovery through continued stress exposure. Progressive shelters use individual housing with visual barriers, stress-reduction protocols, and early foster placement for respiratory cases to break the stress-reactivation cycle.