Managingamulti-cathomeorrunningacatshelterhasitsownsetofchallenges.Oneoftheseispreventingthespreadofinfectiousdiseasesfromonecattoanother.Chlamydiaisaverycommonbacterialinfectionincatsthatcanposeariskforcatslivingtogether.WhatisCatChlamydiaSometimescalledChlamydialConjunctivitis,chlamydiaincatsiscausedbythebacteriaChlamydiafelis.Itisabacteriathatinvadesandinfectsyourcat'seyesandisoneofthemostcommoncausesofconjunctivitisincats.Infact,C.feliscancauseupto30%ofchronicconjunctivitisincats.Catscanbecomeinfectedthroughdirectcontactwiththebacteria,soanyocularornasalsecretionsareconsideredtobeinfectious.Catslivinginmulticathomes,catteries,orsheltersaremoreatriskofcontractingchlamydia.C.felisdoesn'tsurvivelongintheenvironment,sosharedlitterboxes,bowls,andtoys,whiletheyshouldstillbeproperlydisinfected,arenotaslikelytocausetransmission.AlthoughallcatscanbecomeinfectedbyC.felis,youngcatsandkittensarethemostsusceptible.SignsofChlamydiainCatsSymptomsEyedischargeSneezingNasaldischargeFeverLethargySquintingoftheeyesThemostcommonsymptomsofchlamydiaincatsaffectstheireyesandtheirupperrespiratorytract.Typically,theveryfirstsignofinfectioniswateryeyedischarge,thiscaninfectoneorbotheyes.Thiswaterydischargewillprogresstoathicker,yellow,orevengreenishcoloreddischarge.IfyourcatbecomesinfectedwithC.felisyoumayalsoseemildsneezing,nasaldischarge,occasionalmildfever,occasionallethargy,andswellingorreddeningoftheconjunctiva.Yourcatmayalsobesquintingorholdingoneorbotheyesclosedduetopain.Symptomsusuallystartafewdaysafterinfectionand,althoughprimarilyaffectingtheupperrespiratorysystem,ifleftuntreatedcanspreadtothelowerrespiratorytractandlungs.Symptomsareusuallythemostsevereaweekandahalftotwoweekspost-exposure.Aftertwotothreeweeksthesymptomsmaysubside,butsomecatsmayhavesymptomsthatpersist.DiagnosingChlamydiainCatsIfyoususpectyourcattohavecontractedC.felisyoushouldbringthemtothevet.Uponarrival,yourvetwillperformaphysicalexam,includingathoroughlookatyourcat'seyes.Theymayperformafluoresceinstaintocheckf