We aim at the presentation of a newly emerging domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH), the causative agent of chronic hepatitis, hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which was recently identified in several countries. The first report is from 2018 and describes DCH isolation from immunocompromised cat. DCH is a partially double stranded, circular, small DNA virus belonging to the Orthohepadnavirus genus, Hepadnaviridae family. It has a genome of approximately 3.2 kb of compact DNA, which encodes in four overlapping open reading frames (ORFs), for the polymerase (L), surface (S), core (C), and X proteins, similarly to other hepadnaviruses. Transmission is likely direct, but indirect iatrogenic infection via blood transfusion is also possible. DCH infection is more frequent in feline leukemia (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infected pet cats. In addition to the hepadnavirus viremia and liver pathologies, positive-DCH immunoreactivity was found in various other organs, including kidneys, lungs, heart, intestine, brain, and lymph nodes, providing evidence of systemic inflammatory disease. Only a small proportion of cats with biochemical alterations indicating liver disease were DCH positive. The testing for DCH is based on histopathological analysis of liver biopsies, and blood or hepatic tissue PCR screening. The control consists of limiting iatrogenic and nosocomial virus transmission. No specific vaccine exists for DCH.