Panleukopenia is a condition in which a cat's white blood cell count drops dramatically. Since white blood cells are vital to cat's defense against disease, this condition leaves cats vulnerable to deadly infections. The virus is transmitted via body secretions. Feces are particularly common transmitters. It can be carried in water or on shoes.

Panleukopenia is often referred to as a number of different terms, such as

* Panleukopenia (often shortened to "Panleuk" in verbal discussion) * FPV (Feline Panleukopenia Virus OR Feline Parvo Virus) * FP (Feline Panleukopenia) * Feline Distemper * Feline Infectious Enteritis * Feline Infectious Gastroenteritis * Feline Agranulocytosis * Cat Plague * Cat fever * Show fever * Psuedomembranous Enteritis * Maladie du jeune chat * Feline Typhus * Feline Tyfoid * Colibacillosis * Agranulocytosis

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) causes a variety of diseases, one of which is leukemia, or cancer of white blood cells. Infected cats often appear healthy in early stages of disease. The illness may take months or years to cause death. For a long time, FeLV was most fatal disease among cats. Today, although vaccinations are available to protect cats from this disease, it continues to be a leading cause of death, as there is no treatment.

FeLV is usually transmitted through cat fighting with each other. Because large quantities of FeLV are shed in puncture wounds and cat saliva associated with fighting result in injection of PeLV into other cats. Other less frequent routes of viral spread include sharing food and water bowls, cats grooming each other, and transmission from mother to kittens before birth.

Because Sphynx cat has little hair, cat needs to be bathed periodically. This is an easy task with a cat that has been accustomed to a bath from kittenhood.

Sometimes, cats are just "ordinary felines." "Domestic" is veterinary term used to classify cats of unknown heritage. Cats in these categories are broken into groups as domestic short hair (DSH), domestic long hair (DLH) and domestic medium length hair (DMH). Some people classify cats based on living circumstances; house cat or alley cat, but these are not true breeds.

Hair length and texture contribute to a breed's "look, " but color is not a reliable identity factor. Black cats with white paws, belly, and chests are referred to as "tuxedo cats," but this is simply a description of coat pattern found in both domestic and "exotic" breeds. Tortoiseshell and calico coated cats are sometimes referred to as "ginger," "marmalade," or "orange tabby" cats, making them sound like specific breeds. In reality, they are just descriptors, much like "green-eyed Asian" or "brown-eyed European." While it is true that some cat breeds only come in one hue (Russian Blues and Korats only show gray) most breeds display a range of coat color and pattern.