Leukemia Transmission Through Cat Litter

- Cats infected with FeLV can serve as sources of infection of FeLV-A. Cats can pass the virus between themselves through saliva and close contact, by biting another cat, and (rarely) through a litter box or food dish used by an infected cat.

Any close contact among cats can spread FeLV, including bite wounds, mutual grooming, or sharing feeding dishes and litter boxes. Transmission can also take place from an infected mother cat to her kittens, either before they are born or while they are nursing.

- The most common clinical signs ... through saliva. It is spread most commonly from those exposed to one another for longer periods of time through mutual grooming, mating, or shared food/water/litter boxes....

Cat-to-cat transfer of virus may occur from a bite wound, during mutual grooming, and (though rarely) through the shared use of litter boxes and feeding dishes. Transmission can also take place from an infected mother cat to her kittens, either before they are born or while they are nursing.

The virus is not persistent in the environment and typically only survives a couple hours outside a cats body. The virus is typically transmitted through fighting, mutual grooming, playing, and rarely through shared litterboxes or bowls.