Soapbox time - buckle up!
Every rescue organization out there has their own opinion/policy/beliefs about FIV and FeLV in cats. This is NOT a post about ours.
Every veterinarian probably has their own opinion, also not a post about that.
We are not veterinary professionals here, but we have great vets that help us, and we have a lot of experience and knowledge, so I feel pretty comfortable talking about this particular set of circumstances.
Stormy, the black boy, and his black and white brother, named Brother??, were surrendered when their owner became unable to care for them. These nice, nice boys are about three years old, they've lived with dogs and other cats and kids, and are really good natured with everyone they meet. They are obviously bonded to each other, as you can tell by the way they've squeezed themselves into a cubby that is really not big enough for the two of them!
Their former owner acquired them from someone who was giving away free kittens, and had them neutered, vaccinated and microchipped when they were young.
As we do with all cats that come through our doors, we tested them both for FeLV, FIV, and heartworm. Stormy was negative for all three, but Brother tested positive for FIV. You can ask your vet or (carefully??) google it, but FIV is an immune system infection for which there is no cure. If the cat is otherwise healthy, there is no medication or medical maintenance needed that will impact its effect on the cat. It is not contagious with casual or social contact, like grooming each other or sharing a litterbox, and well cared for FIV positive cats can live long and happy lives with other cats without putting them at risk. The way you know that this statement is accurate is that these two brothers that have no concept of personal space with each other, have one positive and one negative result!
There is no way to know how or when he contracted FIV, and it doesn't really have any bearing on how we move forward, anyway. The most important things to know if you are considering adopting a FIV positive cat (and his FIV negative brother) is that 1. he should unequivocally be kept strictly indoors so there is no chance he ever puts any other cats at risk, even though the risks would be minimal, and 2. he should see the veterinarian every year for thorough wellness exams to make sure you stay on top of any health concerns that might pop up. As an immune system issue, the concern is that the cat falls ill and struggles to get well because he is FIV positive. Staying on top of his yearly wellness checks decreases this risk.
Certainly the risk of transmission is never zero, but it is minimal enough for me, as a Shelter Manager, to feel comfortable telling people that FIV is no reason to hold you back from considering adoption. It's part of his health history, but as long as you are keeping up with your pet's health care like any responsible pet owner would/should, he could have as long of a life as any cat!
Thanks for reading!
GLAAS staff~
The adoption process begins when you complete our online adoption application, which can be found on our website at www.glaas.org. Give us a day or two to process that and we'll call you to take the next steps.
Thanks!
