EXPRESS: Low incidence of feline infectious peritonitis in rehomed shelter cats with known feline coronavirus status: a cohort study of 767 cats.

FCoV-positive shelter cats show low FIP incidence post-adoption, supporting rehoming without FCoV-status discrimination.

This cohort study followed 767 shelter cats with known feline coronavirus (FCoV) status for 2-6 years post-adoption to evaluate long-term health outcomes, particularly feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) development. Cats were tested for FCoV via faecal viral nucleic acid detection at shelter admission. Survey responses from adopters revealed a 20% FCoV prevalence in the cohort. Only 2 of 767 cats (0.3%) developed FIP during follow-up: one FCoV-negative (0.2%) and one FCoV-positive (0.6%) cat. Common gastrointestinal signs included vomiting (68%) and diarrhoea (39%), but these were not associated with FCoV status. Logistic regression analysis found no significant association between initial FCoV infection status and subsequent FIP development or other post-adoption health conditions. The FIP incidence rate of 0.6% in FCoV-positive cats 2-6 years post-infection is notably lower than previously reported in literature. These findings suggest that FCoV-positive shelter cats have favorable long-term prognoses when rehomed, with minimal FIP development risk.

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