Feline AIDS :(

[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.

[jennielynn1970]

Many of my fosters are FIV+, and one of my own guys, who I adopted from fostering, is FIV+. Honey, my guy, is about 12-14yrs old at the last guesstimate. He's low on teeth (typical for an FIV kitty)

[jennielynn1970]

Many of my fosters are FIV+, and one of my own guys, who I adopted from fostering, is FIV+. Honey, my guy, is about 12-14yrs old at the last guesstimate. He's low on teeth (typical for an FIV kitty)

Sorry 'bout that post! cat on laptop and laptop died or something in between there. I didn't think it had even gotten posted, lol.

Anyway, as I had been typing, my old guy has bad teeth, typical of a FIV guy, and he had very bad paw pads, which is also indicative of FIV. I've fostered a number of FIV guys, and they've all basically shared these traits, and the vet had gone over things with me when I had my first FIV fosters and was concerned about certain things.

Mac and Bear were the first boys I had with FIV. They were the sweetest guys in the world, and I loved them more than I can ever say. Mac was usually in good health, just had hyperthyroid and was on meds for that. Actually the longer he was with me, the better get became and his medication decreased until it was 1/8 of what it had been. He gained weight and his coat was gorgeous.

Bear was not so lucky with things. He always seemed to be suffering with an upper respiratory, and was off and on Baytril a lot. He also had entropian, where his eyelid and lashed rolled over and his eyelashes were growing into his eye. A vet associated with the shelter did surgery on him, but it wasn't super successful (he was her 1st patient for this...), he had some scarring left from the entropian, and his eyes were always crusty. Other than that he was a large and goofy cat and was such a love bug. He was my buddy and I loved him to pieces. He was missing a lot of teeth, and usually gummed my fingers when he was feeling spunky.

I took in two other FIV boys later in the summer. Woody is a Russian Blue mix and is quite skittish and is not fond of people, even today, 2yrs later. I can hold him and cuddle him, but not for an extended period. He's got rough paw pads, and is missing a few teeth as well.

Piglet came from a house that had been broken into and the he and his housemates had been left behind by the couple who rented it. Teens broke in, killed the one cat, the other disappeared, and only Piglet was left, hiding in the basement for about 2-3weeks. I took him in as soon as I heard about him. He was a gorgeous white cat with black spots like a cow (so why they called him Pig, I have no clue). he had tested positive when he was a kitten 2xs, and once about a year before I had him (he was about 1 1/2yrs old. I had Piglet for about 1yr and decided to test him and Woody again... I just had this odd feeling about Piglet. He was tested 2xs. Both times NEGATIVE, and by different vet clinics.

I was told by the vet, you can have a false positive, but you cannot have a false negative.

Frankie I took in back in Jan/Feb. and he is also the picture of health. He's almost like a little bowling ball cause he just eats everything in sight and is super playful. He's got the rough paw pads as well.

Bear and Mac passed away last year. Bear in July, and Mac in December. Mac was 15ish, and Bear was 5-7yrs old. Mac had been adopted, and Bear just had a broken heart, I'm still positive of this. He stopped eating and just gave up. Mac was returned about 3 months later, and Bear was absolutely beside himself and was all over Mac, but it was too much for his little body to recuperate, and he crossed the bridge from kidney failure on July 5th. Mac was re-adopted and was living very happily until a tumor formed in his chest and it just grew very quickly. He crossed the bridge around Christmas in the arms of his new meowmie who just adored him. He had 6 happy months with her.

Piglet was adopted and is doing great. Woody is still here with me and has never shown any signs of being ill at all. He gets a goopy eye once in a while, but that's so rare. He's a handsome boy, and I hope someone will see past the FIV stigma and grow to love him as I have. He's a wonderful cat.

This is Woody... he's so handsome!



Here's Frankie Baby.... he's as soft as a bunny!



This is my RB Bear..


Here he is with his buddy, Mac


And this is Piglet, who ended up NOT being FIV+ after testing + 3xs!!

[catmandu]

I Remember When They First Diagnosed Feline Aids And Thanks To Misinformation From Early Newscasts A Lot Of Healthy Cats Were Taken And Left At Shelters.
We And Praying For Your Dear Little Cat That She Will Be Healthy And Well.