FIV positive cat

[smudgley]

For those of you who remember my recent post about the black cat Salem - well there is now some sad news about him.:cry:

I'll recap his history. He is a lovely big black cat who was handed over by my sister-in-law to be rehomed (personal & genuine reasons) He came to us with his buddy. We were thinking of keeping him as he is a lovely friendly fella - well today he went to the vets to be blood tested & castrated & he is FIV positive. His buddy is negative. We decided not to euthanase him, but to let him go to an indoor home as an only cat. I have previously researched FIV a bit but need to find out more about it.

Anyone else got any experience of it?

[Kazz]

No sorry no experience here.

Sure he'll find a great home:-D

[Fran]

Sorry to hear this Smudgley especially as you would have liked to have kept him. I have no experience of FIV. I hope that it is something he can live with without it affecting him and that he finds a forever loving home.....

[smudgley]

From what I understand - they can lead a normal & healthy/happy life, however their immunity is poor & they are mainly at risk if they catch an infection as the immune system can not cope to fight it.

That's my understanding, also that it is mainly passed through biting / fighting & through sexual contact. It only affects cats & no other species can be affected by it.

Wish I knew more - I need to read up

[bobbie3917]

sorry to hear that he has FIV

this is 1 reason i like 2 keep mine in

[Fran]

I think FIV is part of the vaccination programme isn't it?

[dinahsmum]

That is sad news :(
But I'm pleased you are hoping to find a new forever home for him.

[Emm]

smudgley can you email me?

[Mags]

I have no experience of FIV either.....
I hope you can find a good home for him Smudgley where he will be loved and cared for....

[smudgley]

I think FIV is part of the vaccination programme isn't it?

Yes that's right PK

[smudgley]

smudgley can you email me?

have done buddy

[smudgley]

I have no experience of FIV either.....
I hope you can find a good home for him Smudgley where he will be loved and cared for....

me too Mags - he is one of the loveliest natured cats I've ever met. He rolls around like a puppy dog:roll: He snuggles up to your face like a teddy bear:roll:
He looks like a big black panther with a velvet coat:roll:

I just hope we can find him a home. Lots of people would not even consider an FIV positive cat just as some people are ignorant to HIV positive people. (It is the feline equivalent of HIV for anyone who didn't know. Sorry if I'm stating the obvious:oops: )

[EmmaG]

I try and educate so many people who would like a cat but say I cannot because I cannot let it out, (live in a flat or near a busy road) I normally tell people that there are FIV cats that need good homes :) and that they can live for many many years without too many problems (from what I have read)

Good luck and I hope he finds a great home.

[Kim]

That's sad news, and I hope you can find the right home for him. From what I understand FIV positive cats can live happily as an only cat or with other FIV positive cats as indoor only cats. Hope it all works out.

[deester]

Sorry to here the sad news, hope it all works out well for the little fella.

[Kay]

FIV is not part of the vaccination program. There is no vaccine against it at present although test are being carried out using human drugs for HIV. Because this virus attacks the immune system he will have to be kept as an indoor cat to reduce his chances of catching anything because although the FIV won't kill him other infections could. He also needs to be kept away from other non FIV cats to stop the possible spread of the disease, which is usual caused by a bite while fighting or mating. This is one good reason to keep cats as indoor cats or in a purpose built cat run. Tom cats are more prone to it than she cats because they usually fight more. Wherever he is rehomed they need to be fully aware of the situation. Any slightest infection must be treated immediately to avoid complications that could potentially kill him. Common problems for a cat with FIV are gingivitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, diarrhoea, skin disorders, aneamia, weight loss and lethergy. These of course vary from cat to cat. Hope this helps and good luck in finding a very special home for him.

[yola]

Kay just got there before me!! There is no vaccination for FIV sadly.

I lived with an FIV cat, my Ferdy, for 18 months. He visited us for ages prior to that. He came to us as a stray and we had him neutered/tested for FIV which sadly came back positive. However as he was already familiar with our other 2 cats and they with him and there was NO animosity at all, we decided that we would bring him into our home.

Although obviously a single-cat household would have been ideal we never had any trouble with this big black teddy bear of a cat. He was docile in the extreme, happy to living predominantly indoors and turned into a big fat lap cat. He did have regular vet visits and was prone to ear infections but he did withstand several operations (including one major one) until the final, routine dental when he didn't come out of the anaesthetic :cry:

Of course I wouldn't recommend an FIV cat in a multi-cat household unless you know all the animals very well but it can and did work in my case.

Good luck and I thank you for investing the time to find out about FIV and recognizing that it needn't be a death sentence for a cat . . . as has been said, they can lead long and happy lives with the virus.

[smudgley]

Thanks guys - Since we got the results of his B/T, I have really looked into FIV big time & am currently researching it in a lot of depth. I am fortunate to work with lots of people in the veterinary proffession & have been getting as much info as I can from different sources.
As for Salem - he has now found a home. The lady is fully aware of his FIV status & has herself researched it & spoken to her vet. She has no other cats & will be keeping him as a house cat.

Happy ending for the big cuddly teddy bear cat!:)

[dinahsmum]

good news for Salem :smt041

[yola]

Fantastic news!!!! Lucky ol Salem :-D

[Naomi]

That's brill news about Salem finding a good home :D

[Mags]

Wonderful news about Salem! :-P

[Kazz]

I am pleased for Salem is the lady keeping his name.

[Fran]

:smt026 :smt026 :smt026 Great news Smudgley!! Good luck Salem x

[Donna]

So happy for Salem. A new home for Christmas!:lol:

[Kay]

Great news about Salem. Good luck to him in his obviously knoweledgeable new home.

[Kim]

Great news about Salem - I'm so pleased he has been given a chance.