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Questions about FeLV/FIV (was Re: Pics of the vicious biting kitten!!!!)

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Takayuki - 19 Sep 2006 03:08 GMT
"Mischief" <krysfamulan@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I'm really starting to fall for her.  I carry her around and I sat at
>the front desk leaning back with the bitty on my chest, and she tucked
>herself under my neck.

I really hope that there will be a happy ending and a good forever
home for her.  I know you probably won't be able to adopt her, but
could you let us know how things go?

I don't know much about FeLV and FIV, but I'm wondering whether cats
that test positive for these can usually get adopted, and who adopts
them?  Also, how long do they typically live?
sriddles@aol.com - 19 Sep 2006 04:00 GMT
> "Mischief" <krysfamulan@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >I'm really starting to fall for her.  I carry her around and I sat at
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> that test positive for these can usually get adopted, and who adopts
> them?  Also, how long do they typically live?

Hi Tak---I can only speak for what our shelter does re: FeVL+ cats.
They are usually euthanized. It's very sad, but here's why it is
sometimes necessary: Households willing to adopt them are few and far
between. It has to be someone who has only FeLV+ cats in the home, and
not very many people are willing to adopt them. You can't adopt them
out to someone you cannot absolutely, positively trust. If you do, and
they decide to let them outdoors, they can infect the other
neighborhood cats. So that would make us responsible for spreading the
disease.
But they can remain symptom-free for a long time. I know a cat who
lived eight years after diagnosis. Especially if the cat is protected
from stress.

Sherry
Karen - 19 Sep 2006 04:24 GMT
>> "Mischief" <krysfamulan@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> I'm really starting to fall for her.  I carry her around and I sat at
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> Sherry

FeLV cats do well as only cats usually because they have less stress.  
It just all depends on the disease. If it matriculates quickly they
live to around 3 it seems in most cases I've heard of. Then again, with
kittens, I think there is a chance to outgrow it. I remember Mary in
LA's Mimi who fought it off with interferon after a year.  It's hard to
find someone who will take that uncertainty on.
Takayuki - 19 Sep 2006 05:29 GMT
>FeLV cats do well as only cats usually because they have less stress.  
>It just all depends on the disease. If it matriculates quickly they
>live to around 3 it seems in most cases I've heard of. Then again, with
>kittens, I think there is a chance to outgrow it. I remember Mary in
>LA's Mimi who fought it off with interferon after a year.  It's hard to
>find someone who will take that uncertainty on.

I didn't know that Mimi didn't have FeLV anymore!  I knew that her
kittens were lucky and didn't seem to have it, but I assumed that Mimi
still had it, and assumed that was why she had expanded to fostering
non-cat species.  I'm glad for her!  I think I still have the issue of
Cat Fancy with her profile in it somewhere.
Takayuki - 19 Sep 2006 05:26 GMT
>Hi Tak---I can only speak for what our shelter does re: FeVL+ cats.
>They are usually euthanized. It's very sad, but here's why it is
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>lived eight years after diagnosis. Especially if the cat is protected
>from stress.

Awww, it's so sad that they need to be put to sleep!  I can appreciate
that it's for the sake of saving other cats, and I'm sure that that's
the right policy.  But after seeing pictures of Bitey Bitty, I hope
that something can be done for her.
sriddles@aol.com - 19 Sep 2006 07:19 GMT
> >Hi Tak---I can only speak for what our shelter does re: FeVL+ cats.
> >They are usually euthanized. It's very sad, but here's why it is
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> the right policy.  But after seeing pictures of Bitey Bitty, I hope
> that something can be done for her.

I do, too, Tak. I would not trust the feleuk test either. I've seen a
lot of false positives. And a young cat can throw the disease, too. I
hope she is restested and it turns out okay. If not, I hope she can
find an owner. It's very possible for her to have a good life if she
has good care, I truly believe that.

Sherry
jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net - 19 Sep 2006 08:02 GMT
> I do, too, Tak. I would not trust the feleuk test either. I've seen a
> lot of false positives. And a young cat can throw the disease, too. I
> hope she is restested and it turns out okay. If not, I hope she can
> find an owner. It's very possible for her to have a good life if she
> has good care, I truly believe that.

That's interesting, I didn't know it was possible to be completely
cured of FeLV.

FIV is somewhat different, as it's not nearly as contagious. I understand
that you can easily have FIV+ and FIV- cats under the same roof, as long
as there's no violent fighting. If the positive cat bites a negative cat,
that could spread it. And I suppose it's sexually transmitted, too, but
neutering would take care of that. Unlike with FeLV, FIV cats can share
dishes, grooming, and sleeping places with non-FIV cats and all are safe.

Joyce
sriddles@aol.com - 19 Sep 2006 15:02 GMT
>  > I do, too, Tak. I would not trust the feleuk test either. I've seen a
>  > lot of false positives. And a young cat can throw the disease, too. I
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> Joyce

I don't think there is a cure if the cat has full-blown FeLV. The way I
understood it, if a cat has recently been exposed (esp. a kitten), they
can "throw" the disease. I googled for a better explanation. This is
from a website I wanted to share because it's almost exactly the way my
vet explained it to me and it kind of gives hope. Also, the test is
notoriously inaccurate. It bugs me to think how many cats are given up
on from just that one snap test.

"A positive test result means that a cat has been exposed to the feline
leukemia virus.  It's a good idea to confirm a test done in the office,
which is the common procedure here in the States, with a different test
done at a lab facility.  Some cats exposed to the virus will throw it
off and become negative but you usually don't notice that and, by the
time  the cat is tested, it may just be negative.  But they might also
want to  test again in 3 months to see if the cat has gone from
positive to negative.

This doesn't mean that the cat has leukemia.  That name was given to
the virus several decades ago.  Actually, cats positive for the virus
are  more susceptible to other diseases, like respiratory disease, GI
problems,  etc. Also lymphoma.  All because the virus affects how their
immune system functions.

If a cat remains positive, it can still lead a good life but the
chances are that it won't live as long as a healthy cat.  But with good
nutrition, living indoors so there isn't a lot of exposure to
unhealthy stuff, jumping on any illnesses asap, and, perhaps, using
drugs like  interferon alpha or Immunoreglan to stimulate the immune
system,
these cats can do well.  This virus is fairly easy to pass from cat to
cat.  (Unlike FIV which is hard to pass.)  So a positive cat should
really not be exposed  to other cats.  There's a vaccine against FeLV
but it isn't 100%  effective."

From:
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/vet00/vet00055.htm
Jo Firey - 19 Sep 2006 06:56 GMT
>> "Mischief" <krysfamulan@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >I'm really starting to fall for her.  I carry her around and I sat at
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>
> Sherry

It really is hard to make decisions about these cats.  The first we learned
about this disease was when out Siamese Henry became ill and died.  Our
other cat Ginger then tested positive.  She was a feral cat we had taken in
and as best we could tell she brought it with her and infected Henry.  She
however lived with it with no noticeable ill effect for another six years.
When she finally did get sick, she just became severely anemic.  At least
she had an easy death.

Jo
sriddles@aol.com - 19 Sep 2006 07:16 GMT
> >> "Mischief" <krysfamulan@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> >I'm really starting to fall for her.  I carry her around and I sat at
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>
> Jo

Our Luke (Yoda's brother) somehow contracted feleuk even though he was
vaccinated. He was my daughter's cat. He wasn't symptomatic until she
got married and took him with her. I still think it was the stress. We
tried the interferon but it didn't help him. You know, feleuk is
supposed to be very contagious. But Yoda never tested positive. I think
some cats are just susceptible, more so than others.

Sherry
Jane - 19 Sep 2006 12:39 GMT
> Hi Tak---I can only speak for what our shelter does re: FeVL+ cats.
> They are usually euthanized. It's very sad, but here's why it is
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Sherry

One of my friends took in a FeLV+ cat a long time ago, and the vet told
her she'd have to buy some expensive medications to keep him going and
healthy.  He was about 7 years old at the time.  She was unemployed,
uninsured, and broke, so all she could do was what she called
'benevolent neglect'.  She gave him a quiet, serene, warm, happy home
with plenty of food, and he lived nearly 10 years with her before
finally going to the Rainbow Bridge at nearly 18 years old.
So, I think FeLV+ cats can live a good long happy life with the right
care.  I'm wondering if this vicious kitten could live like that.  If I
had no Rita in my life right now, I'd take her in in a minute.

Jane
Debbie Wilson - 19 Sep 2006 08:57 GMT
> I don't know much about FeLV and FIV, but I'm wondering whether cats
> that test positive for these can usually get adopted, and who adopts
> them?  Also, how long do they typically live?

Our rescue group will actively try and home FIV cats to indoor-only
homes with no other cats who are willing to take them on, and with good
care an FIV cat can live a long life - 12+ years if lucky. I know of two
personally that have lived full and happy lives and you would never know
they had the virus.

We have homed FeLV cats as well - I once had two adult FeLV cats we
homed to an indoor-only home with no other cats, but there is no
guarantee how long they will live, it can be as little as 6 months, or
can be several years. As others have said it is a peculiar disease in
terms of infectiousness. My friends adopted a 5 month old kitten who
then tested positive for FeLV. He is still alive and in great health 6
years later, and was negative when they retested him a few months later.
I had a rescue semi-feral called Wonky who came from a 'house of horror'
where 50 cats had bred unchecked for years and there was an indoor feral
colony going on. The human occupants never, ever cleaned - or emptied
rubbish, litter trays etc. Think of the worst situation and then triple
it. Anyway the group took all the cats and kittens from the house and
began spaying/neutering them and testing. About one-third of the cats
had FeLV. Wonky was tested and was clear. So it doesn't automatically
spread, but you'd never take a chance and mix them knowingly, even with
the vaccination as it's only 70% effective.

Deb.
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"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

 
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