Feline Aids Positive cat needs home

[Christiansmommy]

Hi Pettalk friends:

My MIL called me asking if I could post on here to find out if anyone would be able to take in cat that has just be diagnosed as having feline AIDS. She is a young black and white female cat and apparently is very friendly. She is going to try to send me some pics...so when I get them, I will post.

If you know of anyone that takes in these cats, or an organization that would, I would appreciate it. The woman, I am assuming has other cats, or fosters other cats, and so she can't keep her...and doesn't want her put down, of course!

Any help would be appreciated.

She lives in the South Jersey area, and I live in Maryland (very close to Delaware). Thanks again in advance.

I will post this in Cat General also...

Robyn

[jennielynn1970]

Is your mother in law's cat her own cat or a stray? Cats normally only get FIV from deep bite wounds, or if the birth mother was FIV+ and they end up with it as carriers or develop symptoms. If your mother in law's cat is an only cat, and is fed a healthy diet, and given proper medical attention if she ever gets ill, she can live a long and healthy life. I have a 11+ yr old FIV kitty with me, and another one I fostered lived to be almost 15yrs.

If she's not aggressive, or noth with aggressive cats, she should be fine and wouldn't have to lose her home.

Another question is, if she's had her for some time, how was she exposed to the virus? Does she have other cats, and if so, do they fight? If they do, has she had them tested for FIV, because if the girl was negative before, then that would leave open the possibility that one of the others has it.

Let me know how things go, and what your mother in law decides. If she still wants to "get rid" of the kitty because of her virus , I might have some suggestions for you on rehoming her.

[Christiansmommy]

Thanks for the info. The cat is my MIL friend's cat and she fosters other cats, and also has her own cats, so I am assuming that she wants to rehome this one b/c she doesn't want to expose her to other fosters or her own cats...she came to her as a foster, and when she got tested, she had it already...who knows what her life was like prior to becoming a foster cat...

[jennielynn1970]

well, it is really difficult for a cat to get FIV. They have to be aggressive and leave deep bite wounds. It's not like Feline Leukemia where they can sneeze and spread it. I know some people get them confused, so just so that everyone knows that FIV is not a death sentence for a kitty. With good vet care, a safe and healthy environment (I have a HEPA filter from when the one foster kitty I had that had chronic upper respiratory infections... i think that was from being in the shelter for over 2yrs), feed them good food. They are more susceptible to certain things, like dry and cracked paw pads, upper respiratory infections and bad teeth, but other than that, if they are given a good diet and treated like any other normal cat, they are fine.

Let me know what she says.. maybe her other fosters are aggressive, which would be a concern. Almost every FIV+ kitty I've met has been male, and I think that happens a lot of times because they are left unneutered, and are outside and strays, and end up in fights with other tom cats in the same position. It's a sad situation.

One side note... I did have one FIV+ kitty that tested positive 2 or 3 times as a kitten, and then when he was 2yrs old he tested negative. You can have a false positive, but NEVER a false negative. Thankfully, he is now in a good home, but I wish he would have gotten that home no matter what his FIV status was.

[jennielynn1970]

Any news on this kitty??

[Christiansmommy]

Thanks for asking, But I have not talked to my MIL since she first mentioned it. I have been quite busy with doctor appts. for my one skin kid and I know at this point she is very busy getting ready for the holidays. I will see her tomorrow, so if I find anything else out, I will let you know. I will have her tell the woman that you can test positive for it, and it can be false acutally...and that it isn't spread but by puncture wounds...she may not know this...maybe she is thinking it is more like feline leukemia...thanks for the info. I will have to research it some myself, when I get time...life it way too busy at the moment!!

Have a nice holiday!

[jennielynn1970]

How has your mother in law responded??

[Lizzie]

I've been wondering and worrying about this cat also. It's a great shame that the term "feline aids" is being used for FIV because it makes people think that it's much more serious than it really is. A cat that carries the FIV virus is not more susceptible to cancer or any other major disorder. As Jen has said, with general good care they live a normal long life.

[jennielynn1970]

It's a great shame that the term "feline aids" is being used for FIV because it makes people think that it's much more serious than it really is. A cat that carries the FIV virus is not more susceptible to cancer or any other major disorder. As Jen has said, with general good care they live a normal long life.

It's hard when there is such a stigma attached to the word AIDS as it is, then apply it to animals... I was reading where 90% of the large cats in the wild have FIV, it's just something that they get and deal with, and somehow it channeled down to the domestics.

Many of my fosters are/were FIV. I had one boy who was 14yrs old and got adopted this past summer. He was FIV+ for 10+years, and was basically healthy. They are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections, but other than that, most of my guys you would never know they had the disease. I think many are just carriers. My sweetiepie, Honey, is about 10-12yrs old, I just adopted him about a month ago. He's FIV+ and besides the bad teeth, and the funky paw pads, he's fine. He's a total lovebug. Many of the kitties at the shelter we have are the same way. I dunno if it's an FIV thing or what, lol, but almost every male FIV+ cat we've had (and most tend to be male, i think because they were stray, unneutered tom cats and got into fights), have been the most loving and affectionate cats. They've been some of my favorites.