If a cat's immune system is healthy and mature, its white blood cells should be able to fight off infections or viruses and allow the cat to build an immune response, or antibodies. Cats who develop FIP have an immune deficiency, or defect, that causes white blood cells to replicate the virus rather than fight it. In essence, the cat's immune system spreads the virus throughout the cat's body, rather than trying to destroy it. Cats with no immune response develop wet FIP, while cats with a partial immune response develop dry FIP.