Feline Leukaemia is often abbreviated to FeLV and is a virus which is related to the Feline Immunodeficiency Viruc (FIV) and is similar to the human disease HIV.
The disease causes many cat health care problems because the virus kills or damages the cat's white blood cells, which are supposed to fight off infections.
Therefore, pets which are infected with the virus are much more susceptible to cat health care problems.
As well as reducing the cat's ability to fight off infection, the virus can cause tumours.
It is spread by cat to cat contact and is therefore a more prevalent feline health care issue in multiple-cat households.
Infected mothers may also pass it to their kittens in the womb or via infected milk.
The symptoms of this disease can be hard to spot because they could include any number of cat health care problems as secondary infections.
Symptoms can take months or years to become apparent.
Cat owners should look out for pets which seem generally unwell: lethargic, feverish or suffering reduced appetite.
More severe symptoms include anaemia, gum inflammation and tumours.
Sadly there is no specific treatment for this major cat health care problem.
Secondary infections can be treated with antibiotics and the best vets can do is to manage the disease's symptoms to provide the cat with the best quality of life possible.
Cats which are infected with the virus should be kept indoors to reduce the risk of passing on the virus.
Although there is no treatment, simple cat health care practices such as vaccination can prevent a cat from catching the infection in the first place.
Vaccination against the disease is strongly recommended for all cats which go outdoors.