Concern about a shelter issue-- I brought him HOME!!!

**jennielynn1970** · 07-02-2011, 09:39 PM

I'm looking to adopt a kitty from our local shelter who is FIV+. That is not the issue, as I have an FIV+ kitty, Honeybun. My concern is that they are now housing ALL the FIV+ and FeLV+ cats together!! I know Feline Leukemia is more easily transmittable than FIV, and so I'm really concerned about how they are housing their cats. They said that previously they were all in cages, and at least now they have a free roaming room... but at what cost to the FIV+ cats???

They are going to do a feline leukemia test on my guy before I take him home on Tuesday, but gosh.... what if it doesn't show up for 3 months like it sometimes does?? I don't want to infect the rest of my cats, but I can't quarantine Laslo either. I'm going to rename him, and call him Calloway, like the tuxie I had before, cause he could be his twin!! I just like the name better as well.

Any thoughts about the feline leukemia deal?

Here's my boy's profile on PetFinder/Center for Animal Health and Welfare:
http://www.spcanorthampton.org/petsDetails.asp?id=4161

**Sundance** · 07-04-2011, 01:40 AM

I understand your concern and I would feel the same way if I were adopting a cat from that room. Maybe the FIV+ cats have been vaccinated against FeLV, so they aren't at risk, although my understanding is that the vaccine doesn't produce total protection in all cats. I would ask that question before you bring home Laslo (he's really cute!). With their weakened immune systems, FIV+ cats need protection. I would also worry about the FIV+ cats infecting the FeLV+ cats.

I hope all works out for you and Laslo.

**Freedom** · 07-04-2011, 11:43 AM

To me, that flies in the face of medical knowledge. Just plain DUMB!

FeLV is spread by saliva and nasal secretions; and by bites. Also urine, feces, and mother's milk.
FIV is spread by bites.

FeLV source:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/felv.html

FIV from SAME source:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fiv.html

The primary mode of transmission is through bite wounds. Casual, non-aggressive contact does not appear to be an efficient route of spreading FIV; as a result, cats in households with stable social structures where housemates do not fight are at little risk for acquiring FIV infections. On rare occasions infection is transmitted from an infected mother cat to her kittens, usually during passage through the birth canal or when the newborn kittens ingest infected milk. Sexual contact is not a major means of spreading FIV.

So they definitely ARE putting the FIV cats at high risk of contracting FeLV, a form of cancer, which is more potent. Plus, w/ FIV, those cats have weakened immune systems so can't fight it off as well.

I for one would not rely on the FeLV vaccine to keep the FIV cats safe.

BAH! Makes me angry that they are doing this!

I've always heard that you can have an FIV cat living w/ other cats (I have on, Bobby), but that FeLV cats should only live with FeLV cats - cats already infected. This quick research just confirmed that in my mind.

**Freedom** · 07-04-2011, 11:44 AM

Just checked the link, he is HANDSOME!

Any ideas on his age? I didn't see anything.

**jennielynn1970** · 07-04-2011, 03:37 PM

According to THEIR doctor, older cats are less susceptible to catching FeLV than younger cats. Laslo they say is 4 years old, a mature cat. I just wish I felt more comfortable with this, because right now, I don't.

I just about fell over when the girl told me they were all together in one room. Why put the FIV+ cats at risk?? I doubt they vaccinate them against FeLV because that would be a big expense for them. There are about 15 cats in the room, and only about 5 to 6 of them are FIV+. I know you don't want them to live in cages, but this is fairly large shelter, and they should have some other room available, you'd think. I don't know. I'm just worried about the rest of my cats getting something from Laslo, because he could be a carrier just from being around them.

UGH. I think I'm rethinking this.

**Freedom** · 07-04-2011, 03:42 PM

They would do better having the FIV cats in with the healthy cats, and the FeLV cats separated.

Go ahead, help Laslo, soon to be Calloway.

Ask YOUR vet what s/he thinks!

**kittycats_delight** · 07-04-2011, 05:15 PM

I went through the whole thing with Felv with Vixen. She was Felv+. All my other cats were vaccinated against felv and none of my other 4 cats contracted it. I talked to my vet before hand and he said that 10% of cats are immune to the vaccine. About 30% are immune to the disease itself. The vaccine is about 90 - 95% effective in the cats that are not immune to the vaccine. So when you add it all up the effectiveness of the vaccine is very high and it is highly unlikely that a cat that has been vaccinated for felv that lives with a felv+ cat will ever contract it. The virus dies in the open air. And as long as the cats aren't aggressive or intergroom to extremes all should be just fine. Like I said Vixen lived with 4 other cats all of whom were vaccinated for about 3 years before she passed and none of the others were infected.

**jennielynn1970** · 07-06-2011, 11:50 PM

Got the results back from the shelter, and he is NEGATIVE for Feline Leukemia!!!! I hope that it doesn't manifest itself and test negative but stay dormant and he could still spread it?? They said I can bring him back in 3-6 months and test him again if I'd feel better about it. I might just take them up on that one. I'd more than likely do it at my family vet, just so she can get to meet him and give him his vaccinations and a good once over. I'd like to say I'd do that next payday, but I don't think I'll have enough money to do it that quickly. Their vet has examined him, so I'll see when he needs his next round of shots and will go from there.

Can't wait!!!!

**Freedom** · 07-07-2011, 07:33 AM

ALRIGHT!!!!

Now get that boy home, lol!

Michelle, that is great info, thanks for posting.

**kittycats_delight** · 07-07-2011, 10:22 AM

well when we found out that Vixen was felv+ I contacted the only vet I truly trusted, my vet from Canada. He has a seat with the CVMA (canaidian veterinarian medical association). I have never known another vet like him. He is just a phenomenon. I have seen him give a very rambunctious kitten her vaccination with just one hand while holding her with the other and the kitten not even feel the needle when it pierced the skin. I have also seen him diagnose a ferret with lymphoma when 4 other vets couldn't figure out what was wrong with the ferret. But enough singing his praises.

Anyway, I called Dr. D to ask advise as to what I needed to do and what I shouldn't do etc etc. He told me what food was best for her because the food had immunity boosters and would help keep her immune system up. He asked me if she lived with other cats and I told him no because this was just after Micia (hubby's cat passed from a fast growing tumor on the heart. Micia had tested negative for felv. He told me about how much the vaccination for felv has advanced and all the percentages. He also told me it rarely happens to transfer between altered, non aggressive cats. That once a cat hits 3 years old if almost never contracts the disease unless through mating & a sever bite. Also after a kitten has reached 6 months old and has no longer been nursing for 3 months that the results of the test rarely come back false- or false+. I know I have used the word rarely a bit as did he and I asked him what rarely meant and he said less than 10%. He knew I was used to have multi cats and that Vixen had never been without another cat so he said to look for a cat around 3 - 4 years old. Have the cat tested & vaccinated if negative. Be sure that when I introduced the 2 cats to be very attentive and insure that no major altercation happened and that all would work out fine.

I ended up with Vixen then Phoenix came along to be her companion but Phoenix was antisocial and they rarely interacted. Then Bella adopted us after she gave birth and she and Frost stayed. They all tested negative and were vaccinated. Then was Vega who was dumped and living outdoors with no vaccinations or anything. She was brought home in the hopes of getting adopted out but I fell in love at first sight so she went to the vet was tested & vaccinated and right up to this day, over 4 years later they are all NEGATIVE.

I get really frustrated when people have felv+ cats pts just because they are felv+. If I would have done that with Vixen I would have lost the 5 extra years I had with her. BTW...Vixen did NOT die from complications or anything related to felv. She passed for a bloodclot that passed straight to her heart which was a condition that is quite common in her father's breed (Maine Coon). All the large breeds are known to have this possible condition. It is because of the size of the cat apparently. We knew nothing about it until it was too late. She died instantly the vet told us there was nothing anyone could have done to save her and she didn't feel a thing.

I'll shut up now that I have written a book. I am glad your boy tested negative Jenny. He will have a great home with you.

**Lizzie** · 07-07-2011, 03:13 PM

Like Kittycats_Delight, whose name I can't remember, I had a FELV+ cat, well kitten (she was born with the virus, as was her much weaker brother) live with 6 other cats, all over the age of 5, all off the streets so with good immune systems and all given their FELV shots, for the 7 years she lived. None of them contracted the virus from her and three of them lived into their twenties.

I'm appalled also that the shelter is putting the FIV+ cats at such great risk, it really isn't fair to them. Agree with Freedom that the FIV+ cats should go in with the negative cats if they are out of space because that transmission is far, far rarer. Also, FIV isn't such a very big deal but FELV is a terrible disease.

Anyway, welcome to Calloway and I hope all goes well.

We've got somewhat the opposite problem at the shelter where I volunteer. The new vet, who I really like in general, insists that FIV+ cats cannot be adopted into a home with non-FIV+ cats. The shelter has had to change their policy due to her stance. Whenever she goes on about it, I blow her a raspberry in my head because it helps me curb my tongue.

**jennielynn1970** · 07-07-2011, 05:16 PM

My new boy is home!! He has made himself quite at home and is a very talkative boy indeed, lol. He's been velcro-d to me since I left him out of the carrier and has been such a lovie. I can't believe he sat in that shelter for over a year.

There was another reason I wanted to adopt him TODAY. Last year, I found my sweet girl, Finae had gone over the Rainbow Bridge while I was up camping. This was the date I found she had passed. So, for me, this is also a rebirth of a new spirit in my home. Calloway is nothing like Finae, and will never replace her, but I wanted to do something in her memory, because she was my special girl.

I will take pics as soon as I can. Right now I'm tired from running around all day, and want to take a cat nap, lol. Hope my boy will join me, although he seems to have taken a grand liking to my sofa, and is relaxing there at the moment. I don't want to disturb him, so I'll spend some time with my other kitties here as well, well, as soon as they come out of hiding. A few have been brave and came down to see who was walking around howling, but Boris has been MIA since I came home with Calloway. At least she's not shrieking at him like she did to Grizzly.

Speaking of Ms. Grizzly, I may have found a home for her, so she hopefully won't be a cabin cat all summer, lol. I'll let ya'll know when she is in her new home.