Feline AIDS :(

[LuckyNumber7]

Did your cat give it to your other cat through a bite wound, or from routine contact? I'm so sorry that happened

Thank you for the link - I feel like I'm reading every link on the internet about it right now!

He was tested for FeLv too, and it was negative, thankfully.

[kittycats_delight]

I don't know if you would call it routine contact. They were very close. When Vixen (feLv+) was little (5 -8 weeks) she was just learning the litter box and never covered her things or cleaned back there so Lilith (RIP) would do that. She took on the role of mother even though she was just 8 weeks older. Lilith was always grooming Vixen. They would eat together and drink together. I had even seen Vixen pick up pieces of food from the dish and bring to Lilith and vice versa. The contact was rather intimate more like a mother and baby cat. It was from this contact the virus spread. This can happen with FeLv but I have not heard the same for FIV.

Even though this happened with Lilith at such a young age I would not trade it away. She was the most incredible girl. She turned my husband who was a dog person into a true blue cat lover. She was very unique. So gentle and loving even as a baby. I also would not give up having got Vixen. She was a terror as a kitten but the relationship between her a Lilith was astounding. And she has turned into the most loving baby you could ask for. She still has her 'ways' about her but since Lilith's passing she has taken on so many of Lilith's behaviors. It is like I have both my girls in one special kitty.

Maximus chose you because he knew you were the one to give him every good chance in life. FIV+ or FIV- you are the one for him...for life. I know he will bring more to your life than you can even imagine. The *special* ones can change your life.

((((HUGS)))) to you and rubs & kisses for Maximus.

Michelle

[LuckyNumber7]

((HUGS)) Thank you Michelle. We're going to do everything we can to keep our baby boy healthy and happy for as long as possible, that's for sure. I'm praying that it's just a false positive, but the vet really stressed that that was unlikely - so we'll see. I made an appointment to have him neutered on 7/11, so we're going to have him retested then. I'll definitely keep everyone posted.

Your cat Lilith sounds like she was such a sweetie. She was lucky to have you, and vise versa.

[Lizzie]

I have 5 FIV+ cats and they are extremely healthy and active, and they live alongside both very young and very old non-FIV cats. You would only have to worry if your cat was extremely aggresive, which I very much doubt. Calling FIV "Feline AIDS" really puts the wind up people unnecessarily. Cats with FIV do not get cancer any more easily than any other cat, nor do they get other disorders such as renal failure any more easily. They need to go to the vet for quick treatment if they come down with any kind of infection or get a wound so they can be started on antibiotics right away, and the course of treatment is usually longer. They can get sore gums and fragile teeth more easily. That's it.

Here's a very useful website:

http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimal...e/cats_fiv.cfm

Maximus is very beautiful and looks a lot like my Cattulus - hmm! two tabbies with Latin names.

[LuckyNumber7]

Thank you for your post Lizzie, it made me feel so much better.

I keep reading that it is very rare for a mother cat to infect her babies - I can't think of any other way Maximus could have contracted it. He was never in a fight, and we got him as a 10 week old kitten, and he's been kept 100% indoors. Maybe it's a false positive, I'm hoping it is.

That's awesome to hear about your cats there - it helps a lot to know that this isn't come kind of immediate death sentence for him, and I don't need to separate my other kitten from him. They do sometimes wrestle, but never THAT rough, and they definitely don't bite each other hard enough to puncture skin.

We adopted Maximus from a woman whose cat had gotten pregnant, and had an unwanted litter. I don't know if the mother was FeLv negative or positive, I should have asked. I don't know if she would have known - but I still should have asked.

I'm going to wait until he's after 6 months old and retest him, to be sure. If he is positive for it, whatever - we'll love him just as much as we have all along, and care for him well, to give him the best chance at a long, normal life - just like the rest of our animals.

Do you have any tips for a high quality cat food that we could feed him? A lot of these sites encourage feeding a very high quality food to help them stay healthy.

Right now we feed them science diet dry kitten food, mixed in with some wet Wellness food.

PS - Our other cat is Commodus, my 2 latin boys \

- Liz

[kittycats_delight]

I feed my cats Royal Canin with Immunity Boost. It was suggested by my vet. We were told to feed high quality food and try to have a low stress environment. She is pretty laid back so not much stresses her out and the high quality food is like I said Royal Canin Fit 32 and Beauty & Care 32 with Immunity Boost. She also gets a completely all natural wet food called Almo Nature.

[LuckyNumber7]

Is that available at most pet stores, or would I need to go to a vet for that? Thank you all so much for the tips...I was seriously a wreck when I came home from the vet, but these posts and links have calmed me down a lot.

[ratchet22]

I am first hand when it comes to FIV in kittens,. I rescued a momma that was FIV and she had 3 kittens. 2 POS and 1 NEG. I was just distraught. BUT as you said it is VERY RARE for them to get this from the momma, I continued to test monthly and then one day 1 tested NEG, and the following month the last one also turned NEG. So yes it was pretty well 6 and 8 months before this happened. BUT IT DID HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!
So yes it was probably a test that turned positive from the mothers antibioties, which show up for along time. Keep testing you may just find out that the kitty is TRULY not POS.
In Fact VERY LIKELY not POS

Carrie

[kittycats_delight]

Is that available at most pet stores, or would I need to go to a vet for that? Thank you all so much for the tips...I was seriously a wreck when I came home from the vet, but these posts and links have calmed me down a lot.

I am not sure if you can get it in pet stores in the U.S. I am in Italy and I purchase it at my local pet store. The vets here do not carry any type of pet food even prescription which is why the pet stores carry it. I would suggest taking a look online at the pet stores websites in your area.