Feline Aids Positive cat needs home

[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.