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Background  Feline vector-borne pathogens (FeVBPs) have been increasingly investigated for their impact on cat health and their zoonotic potential. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of FeVBPs and haemoplasmas in cats across Italy and to identify potential risk factors linked to their occurrence.    Methods  Blood samples from 958 owned cats living in the North ( n  = 556), Centre ( n  = 173) and South ( n  = 229) of Italy were tested for  Babesia  spp.,  Hepatozoon  spp.,  Ehrlichia  spp.,  Anaplasma  spp. and filarioids by conventional PCR (cPCR) and for haemoplasmas and  Bartonella  spp. by SYBR green real-time PCR. Cats included in the study represent a sub-sample from a larger number of animals enrolled in a previous study, which were selected based on the geographical origin. Data on cats’ positivity for  Leishmania infantum , feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), available from the previous study, were included and examined. Potential risk factors for pathogen infection were assessed in relationship to categorical variables including sex, geographical origin, breed, neutering status and age of cats.    Results  Out of the 958 cats, 194 (20.2%) were positive for at least one of the tested pathogens, 89 (16%) from the North, 32 (18.5%) from the Centre and 73 (31.9%) from the South of Italy. A high prevalence of FeVBPs was detected in male cats ( n  = 125, 27.8%), living in the southern part of the country ( n  = 73, 31.9%), younger than 18 months of age ( n  = 24, 22.4%) and not neutered (n = 39; 27.5%). In particular, 24 cats (2.5%) tested PCR-positive for  Bartonella  spp., of which 1.6% for  B. henselae  and 0.9% for  B. clarridgeiae . A total of 111 cats scored PCR-positive for haemoplasmas (11.6%), specifically “ Candidatus  Mycoplasma haemominutum” ( n  = 95, 9.9%),  M. haemofelis  ( n  = 14, 1.5%) and “ Candidatus  Mycoplasma turicensis” ( n  = 2, 0.2%). Moreover, 39, 31 and 8 cats were positive for FeLV (4.1%),  L. infantum  (3.2%) and FIV (0.8%), respectively. Co-infections were registered for 19 (9.8%) cats.    Conclusions  These results confirm the occurrence of haemoplasmas and FeVBPs throughout Italy. Preventive measures to protect both animal and human health should be carried out also for owned cats, even if no health status of animals has been assessed in this study.

A molecular survey of vector-borne pathogens and haemoplasmas in owned cats across Italy