Fiv

[Moli]

Thanks Elaine there is a lot in your posts I did not know.....

[Elaine]

You're very welcome Pat

[pinklizzy]

I agree Elaine that there is a lot of misunderstanding about FIV, when I worked in rescue we even had a lady hand her FIV +ve cat over to us because she was worried about it biting her grandkids and infecting them. We explained until we were blue in the face that they were at no risk whatsoever She was having none of it however and the cat was found a great new home.
One of the main reasons we usually advocate keeping FIV +ve cats indoors or in a cat-proofed garden is the increased risk of infection on the part of the affected cat, as well as the risk of transmitting the infection. Even neutered cats will fight and immuno-compromised animals are obviously at greater risk from what could be a simple cat-bite abscess in a healthy individual.

[farthing]

I agree that FIV cats get a raw deal, but disagree about them going outside.

Cat don't have to instigate a fight to end up in one.

The area where we live has lots of new houses being built and new pets appearing daily. We have lots of cat coming in, who are neutered, often elderly, who have CBA's, I'm pretty sure they will have fought back in most cases and if infected have potentially spread it to the agressor.
I wouldn't want to run the risk of having another cat infected, regardless of how. Some can live long lives, some can die young like my Triger, he was only 5. You have no idea how angry I am about his loss, I'm positive he didn't catch it here because he never had any bites. He did however have quite a few episodes of vague illness.
In a stable household, it must be rare for for it to be passed on, not one of my other cats contracted it, but I still keep Tabatha seperate, not because she is likely to spread anything ( she has no front teeth) but because her immunity is low I don't want to risk her picking anything up or being stressed.
I still say it is irresponsible to let a cat out if it is infected, you open other cats up to the risk and you own one up to other infections a healthy cat would fight off.

[Elaine]

I hear what both you and PL are saying Louise and obviously the environment to which the cat may live is important but would they not be safe enough in a cat proofed garden or cat pen?
That may sound niave of me to ask but you both work in the veterinary field where as i dont, I just like to read up and know as much facts as I can. I also have not had any experience of having an FIV cat, not that I'd wish my cats to ever become infected but I probably wouldnt turn one away either.

[farthing]

I don't see any problem with FIV cats being kept in runs as long as other cats can't make contact with them. I know they may still get infections but I think it would be reduced. i just don't think it is fair to allow them to run free.
We are hoping to build runs at some point ( when time and money allow) and a run for Tabatha ( if she is still here) would be included. I would be concerned however that well meaning people would take these cats on and leave them to live in a run, without being part of the household.
I suspect one of the main reason people don't want these cats is that there is a definate chance the vet bills will be big, the same reason lots of people won't take on old animals, and insurance isn't an option.
I think we will always have room for at least one FIV cat, the study cat as Tabatha is, although I might reconsider that, as she has just deleted all I have written and I've had to start again, one handed as the other is holding her head off the keyboard.

[Elaine]

Bless her furry boots She just wants to tell her side of the tale

[dandysmom]

Elaine, many thanks for that lengthy and very informative post! I've learned a lot from it, and wouldn't hesitate to take on a cat with FIV now.

[alexgirl73]

We've just had a 6 week old kitten handed in to us, found hiding underneath a car bless him. He's testd positive in house for FIV and we've now sent off a sample to Glasgow. He'll be fostered until he's about 16 weeks and then tested again, if he remains positive, he'll go to one of the shelters as we seem to have a better chance of rehoming him that way than we do in branch. Unfortunately though, we can't always do this, as a lot of time we simply don't have the room to keep FIV cats seperate from others and they have to be PTS

[Elaine]

I just find it all very very sad. Many rescues are criticised for having these dear cats pts, and I have been one of those but the reality is that rescues are between a rock and a hard place and cannot possibly be expected to be able to pick up all the pieces that we humans create.
Time and time again the spay and neuter message does not sink in which is the ONLY way in which we can contribute to helping the situation.
All of this is so needless and is the main reason I get very upset about indiscriminate breeding, especially where moggies are concerned.