Risk factors for feline infectious peritonitis in Australian cats

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether patient signalment (age, breed, sex, and neuter status) are associated with naturally occurring feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) in cats in Australia. Design: A retrospective comparison of the signalment between cats with confirmed FIP and the general cat population. Results: The patient signalment of 382 FIP confirmed cases were compared with the Companion Animal Register of NSW and the general cat population of Sydney. Younger cats were significantly over-represented amongst FIP cases. Domestic crossbred, Persian, and Himalayan cats were significantly under-represented in the FIP cohort while several breeds were over-represented including British Shorthair, Devon Rex, and Abyssinian. A significantly higher proportion of male cats had FIP compared to female cats. Conclusion: This study provides further evidence that FIP is primarily a disease of young cats and that significant breed and sex predilections exist in Australia. This opens further avenues to investigate the role of genetic factors in FIP.