Research overview: comparative immunology of wild and domestic cats

Understanding why some felids tolerate pathogens that sicken others requires comparing immune function across wild and domestic cats. This overview surveys comparative felid immunology, examining differences in immune gene diversity, responses to shared pathogens like FIV and coronavirus, and the consequences of genetic uniformity in species such as cheetahs. It considers how the domestic cat serves as a model for wild felid immunity, the limits of that comparison, and what immunological differences reveal about disease susceptibility and tolerance. The synthesis connects immunology to disease epidemiology. It aims to help readers understand that the varied disease outcomes seen across the cat family, from tolerated endemic infections to catastrophic outbreaks, are rooted in immunological differences, and that comparing the immune systems of wild and domestic cats illuminates why pathogens affect species so differently.