What do you do if your feral tests FIV+ ?

As I'm planning to bring my feral in after neutering and maybe trying to domestricate him (I also have 2 indoor cats) I will ask my vet for vaccinations plus FIV testing. I have no idea what I would do if he should test positive. I couldn't bring him in and letting him loose to infect other ferals doesn't sound like a good idea either. Has anyone had the gut wrenching decision to make on a FIV positive cat?

Originally Posted by FishTreatsMom

As I'm planning to bring my feral in after neutering and maybe trying to domestricate him (I also have 2 indoor cats) I will ask my vet for vaccinations plus FIV testing. I have no idea what I would do if he should test positive. I couldn't bring him in and letting him loose to infect other ferals doesn't sound like a good idea either. Has anyone had the gut wrenching decision to make on a FIV positive cat?

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Below is a good PDF from Alley Cat Allies regarding releasing cats that test positive for FIV.

http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/shouldwerelease.pdf

Katie

i have found that there are a lot of rescues that can help. But FIV+ and - cats can live together, it is FeLV that is the one to worry about. FIV is only transferred through very deep deep serious puncture wounds and mating. So as long as the cat is neutered and gets along with others it is fine to live in a FIV- house, or to be released.

My Yeller is FIV+ and all the rest of my group are negative. As Jen said, unless there is a lot of aggression that might result in fights between the cats or the cat could mate, then there should be nothing to worry about as far as the disease passing from one to another.

What you want to use care with is the FIV+ cats health because he has a compromised immune system and could catch other things easy and have a harder time of it than the other cats. She reccommended he get the Feluke vac., which I get for all my crew anyway because I have them chipped so that if they should ever end up in a shelter the information is available that they've been vaccinated and do not have the disease.

Thank you for your plans to bring your feral in. Feral cats can be so very loving once they trust you.