Poll of the Day > Just found out one of my cats has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.

(+) Yeah! (+)

The feline equivalent of HIV. There's not really anything I can do about, nor is he at any immediate risk, but it does sadly mean that his lifespan is essentially guaranteed to be on the shorter side. Really a heartbreaker, because we saved him from the streets but he obviously didn't get away unscathed.
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I'm really sorry for you and your cat.

At least FIV isn't as much as a death sentence as it used to be considered. A lot of vets would recommend putting the cat down immediately, but at least now it's known that they can live a happy life for years. Best wishes for your kitty.
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Could they pass it to your other cats?

SkynyrdRocker posted...

Could they pass it to your other cats?

yes.

biting can spread it. scratching might also be able to spread it.

of course, they have to be aggressive bites. like live or die fighting kind of bite. just like a nip or warning bite shouldn't be enough to do anything, it has to break skin

Vaccines are really important. and this is why keeping cats indoors is safest. Any cat left outside too long gets exposed. Sorry about your cat's disease, hopefully it can be managed well
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Moonjay posted...

they can live a happy life for years.

Yeah, that's what they told me. It's just a bummer because he's otherwise in great health. I'm sure he'll still be around for awhile, but it's tough to know that he could essentially go at any time.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

Could they pass it to your other cats?

In theory, but it would be extremely unlikely. He would have to pretty severely bite and wound another cat to infect them. All of my cats gets along pretty well.

Doctor Foxx posted...

Vaccines are really important. and this is why keeping cats indoors is safest. Any cat left outside too long gets exposed.

Indeed. Unfortunately, we actually took him in off of the street because we found him so beat up by other cats that he was unable to walk at one point. He likely contracted the virus before we ever found him.

Thanks for the support.
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Doctor Foxx posted...

Vaccines are really important. and this is why keeping cats indoors is safest. Any cat left outside too long gets exposed. Sorry about your cat's disease, hopefully it can be managed well

Which brings the philosophical question, whats more important? Lifespan or happiness? An outdoor cat is obviously more happy, but doesnt live as long.

MICHALECOLE posted...

An outdoor cat is obviously more happy, but doesnt live as long.

Surroundings play a part too. Some places just aren't safe to let your animals roam in. I'm fortunate enough to have a large back yard that my cats can hang out in though.
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Yeah. If you let them do their thing outside you will have issues. If you feel bad that they want out get a harness and walk them
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Outdoor cats aren't necessarily more happy. Some get extremely anxious and miserable trying to avoid all the dangers. Depends entirely on the cat, their temperament, and the environment.

Also cats who have never been outside or hated being outside don't give a damn about outside.

I've also adopted an outside cat who was getting his ass kicked all the time by outdoor cats. He's like the most passive and gentle cat ever, even though he was a large unnuetered male. Outside is a huge nope to him.

If that dude had FIV he'd never pass it on because the odds of him biting a cat are nonexistent. LOL
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