Hello,
First post in a lonnnggg time.
My three cats are all rescue and indoor, so I believe they are safe, but a
neighbor just put down 5 (of her 10 or so?) cats including a siamese female
and two of her male offspring who were the sweetest most friendly cats -
they would come up to me and my golden retriever while we were on our walks
(knew he is a cat loving canine :) ). They appeared healthy to me and
active. She stated she thought they were sick and took them to the vet and
had them tested and put them down because they were positive for feline
leukemia - also two of her remaining cats have AIDS (but she decided not to
put them down?). She claims it is because of a neighbor she is warring with
whose cats are all ill and infected hers. That neighbor had at least 13
cats I counted once and about half of those have disappeared. The first
neighbor who put five of her own cats down says she is going to catch and
put down any of the neighbors cats who come onto her property.
I'm not sure what I am asking except I miss Bosley checking in with us on
our walks - I sometimes let mine three out (well one is terrified of the
outdoors so really it is only my Tom and feral girl) with me in the fenced
back yard when I can stay with them to scold them if they even think about
jumping the fence. I forget about how contagious feline leukemia and AIDS
are - mine do not have the shots for the lekumia as my male had severe
reactions to them (they have rabies as required by law). I have heard that
both the feline leukemia and AIDS require direct contact with infected cats
or their body fluids including urine and feces.
Anyone?
Thanks,
M
Joe - 30 Mar 2005 20:59 GMT
FIV is transmitted like human HIV, mating and exchange of blood and fluids.
If everyone is altered and there is no fighting that draws blood there
shouldn't be a problem. A few vets say mutual grooming can transmit it if
the infected cat grooms another and that one is groomed in the same area by
a third. Other vets discount this. FeLV (leukemia) on the other hand can be
transmitted via food and water sharing and the litter box. The FeLV vaccine
is rated at about 70% effective. I would not let a FeLV+ cat mix with mine.
Both are considered eventually fatal. Some FIV cats live 10 years. FeLV cats
usually go sooner.
Joe
www.isleofavaloncathaven.com
> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
> Thanks,
> M