FeLv + cat in the room last night....

Well, kind of long story short : I took in a kitty for the night that had been abandoned and was found a week ago outside our apartment complex, as a favor to the manager. Today we did the vet thing, got the test back and she is leukemia positive. Do I need to do anything now besides thoroughly disinfect or replace the food dishes, litter pans, and bedding that were used by the infected cat ?

She's spending the night boarded at the clinic until a rehoming decision is made tomorrow. There is a lady that can probably take her in.

The home cats are slightly overdue for their yearly exam, so I can get them vaccinated next week as part of a Distemper/Leukemia combo. There is no possibility of keeping them out of the bedroom for a month in a one room unit.

Although isn't this virus spread from one cat to another ONLY by direct contact i.e. from licking each other ? They were strictly segregated by room so there was no saliva exchange, or direct contact of any type. The vet wasn't taking any chances with the kennel, but it doesn't seem likely the virus could survive long on hard surfaces like cat bowls or carriers.

She simply needs to go back to the office this weekend. I absolutely could not knowingly expose my own cats to a kitten with this condition – it's just too big of a risk...

I'm really sorry to hear that. I recently experienced something similar. I adopted a kitten from a shelter before Christmas. It was brought back two days before I got it and the shelter people said his diarrhea was related to him being brought back. Long story short, in 5 days...it made my other cat, Azrael, sick with vomiting, diarrhea and she had a high fever. I gave the kitten back to the shelter and it is still in the hospital, very sick.

I would clean everything with bleach and 10% ammonia soultion to kill any germs. I don't think there is much else you can do. You are a really nice person for trying to help the cat. I hope things turn out o.k. with your cats. Keep us updated.

Originally Posted by Homemommy

I would clean everything with bleach and 10% ammonia soultion to kill any germs.

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DO NOT combine bleach and ammonia. That creates a toxic gas which can put both people and pets in the hospital.
You're probably safe if you clean with one, rinse very well, and let it dry before you use the other, but I wouldn't want to risk it. A family friend used that combination to clean her house and not only ended up in the hospital for several days, she also has permanent lung damage.

I'm sorry the kitten was positive.

Originally Posted by GoldyCat

DO NOT combine bleach and ammonia. That creates a toxic gas which can put both people and pets in the hospital.
You're probably safe if you clean with one, rinse very well, and let it dry before you use the other, but I wouldn't want to risk it. A family friend used that combination to clean her house and not only ended up in the hospital for several days, she also has permanent lung damage.

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Sorry, that was irresponsible of me to post it like that. When I was dealing with the sick kitten, my vet said to bleach everything and go back LATER with ammonia....you are right...NEVER together.

Originally Posted by Homemommy

Sorry, that was irresponsible of me to post it like that. When I was dealing with the sick kitten, my vet said to bleach everything and go back LATER with ammonia....you are right...NEVER together.

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I don't even store bleach and ammonia in the same cupboard, just in case something gets knocked over or one of the containers starts to leak. Scary stuff.

If I remember the mixture correctly (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong ) the mixture is 1 part bleach per 30 parts water.

Some use 1 part bleach per 20 parts water for a stronger solution.

If you're using a spray bottle, probably the 1/30 is better for your sprayer.

I've found that there are various opinions as to how long the virus survives - some differences being the fabric surfaces - virus lasting longer, or the hard surfaces with the virus not surviving as long.

We rescued a cat that tested positive for FeLV, too. Depending on the age of the cat, and symptoms - this virus is not a death sentence - they just need to be in a home without other cats.

These are two threads about our Buddy.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=218297
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=226114

We have 7 other cats - at the time Buddy arrived, we had only 3 inside. I basically kept them separate but one of my cats wanted to be friends, and I did (uneducated at the time) allowed him in with Buddy.

Later, Buddy was confined to one room, and moved to another room later - where he lives now.

I wouldn't let the cats inside the first room he was in before I moved him, for at least 3 months - and that was after I bleached the door, door frame, walls, furniture, and anything I saw Buddy be around in that room, including the window blinds.

I'm just saying - I go above and beyond because I don't want any regrets or haunting thoughts over the idea that I was just too tired to clean up an area and one of the other cats became infected because I was too lazy.

Today, I spend hours in the room with Buddy, and when I leave, I go directly to the wash basin, and wash my hands thoroughly, and any piece of my skin he may have come into contact with. He loves to snuggle with his little wet nose in my neck. I know, I may be over doing the disinfecting, etc - but, oh, well!

This is the Cornell University link: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/felv.html
They speak little about how long the virus lives outside of the body.

The FeLV virus cannot live outside of a host very long at all, and current information does not require you to bleach things, nor throw them out. When I say very long, I mean like a few minutes.

FeLV is primarily spread through fighting and mating, and secondarily through prolonged casual contact between 2 cats. I did a lot of research when the feral kittens that lived in my home with 12 other resident cats for 6 months turned out to have FeLV (they were supposed tested before I brought them in and were not). It took 6 months for one of my resident cats to contract the disease from them, and that cat was not totally healthy in the first place. The cat that contracted it was one of their best friends and spent hours grooming and playing with them. The other cats that did the same did not contract the disease.

What I'm saying is that don't over fret over having a FeLV positive cat overnight in isolation from your other cats. Wash the bedding, throw the bowls in the dishwasher and bleach the litter box if you are concerned. But don't feel you need to disinfect everything in that room. When I bought my current house, I found out that the previous owners had kept a FeLV positive stray in the sun room for a couple of months before we moved in. Knowing what I know, I didn't bother to disinfect the room when I moved my cats into this house. I'm that confident of the current research.

Not every cat that comes into contact with FeLV will contract it - cats have up to an 85% immunity without being vacc'd, and they can actually come into contact with the virus and shed it, which gives them a lifelong immunity - which is why it is recommended to follow up a positive FeLV test with a further one in 3 months, in case they have just come into contact and are dealing with it.

Originally Posted by My4LLMA

I'm sorry the kitten was positive.

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Thanx ! I am too of course. Why does it always seem the sweetest cats are the ones whose lives are drastically shortened by these horrible retroviruses ??

But we just got word the apt mgr is picking her up Monday: "We have a place for her!! ."

Originally Posted by Momofmany

What I'm saying is that don't over fret over having a FeLV positive cat overnight in isolation from your other cats. Wash the bedding, throw the bowls in the dishwasher and bleach the litter box if you are concerned. But don't feel you need to disinfect everything in that room. When I bought my current house, I found out that the previous owners had kept a FeLV positive stray in the sun room for a couple of months before we moved in. Knowing what I know, I didn't bother to disinfect the room when I moved my cats into this house. I'm that confident of the current research.

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The vet provided a similar reassurance that contrary to what most people think, neither FeLV nor FIV are easy to transmit. His advice was that without a bite wound that contained large amounts of virus, for all practical purposes I was home free. A bite from an infected cat is such a highly effective mode of transmission for FIV and FeLV because it is almost like injecting the virus into an uninfected cat.

So I bleached down the boxes with boiling water and put them in the dishwasher because that is how I normally clean. And the bedding needed to be washed anyway. But nothing extraordinary. Thanks for the responses, everyone !

Originally Posted by Momofmany

The FeLV virus cannot live outside of a host very long at all, and current information does not require you to bleach things, nor throw them out. When I say very long, I mean like a few minutes.

FeLV is primarily spread through fighting and mating, and secondarily through prolonged casual contact between 2 cats. I did a lot of research when the feral kittens that lived in my home with 12 other resident cats for 6 months turned out to have FeLV (they were supposed tested before I brought them in and were not). It took 6 months for one of my resident cats to contract the disease from them, and that cat was not totally healthy in the first place. The cat that contracted it was one of their best friends and spent hours grooming and playing with them. The other cats that did the same did not contract the disease.

What I'm saying is that don't over fret over having a FeLV positive cat overnight in isolation from your other cats. Wash the bedding, throw the bowls in the dishwasher and bleach the litter box if you are concerned. But don't feel you need to disinfect everything in that room. When I bought my current house, I found out that the previous owners had kept a FeLV positive stray in the sun room for a couple of months before we moved in. Knowing what I know, I didn't bother to disinfect the room when I moved my cats into this house. I'm that confident of the current research.

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I read what you're writing, I hear what you're saying - and the message helps me, but, only a little.

I'll try to loosen up, even if it's just in baby steps.

So, you're sure the FeLV virus only lives for a brief time?

Our Buddy seems so healthy right now - he was diagnosed last June-July (2010) with the two usual tests confirming. I could take him back for another testing, but I am concerned that he still has an active virus and that a trip to the vets will stress him out so much that symptoms return putting his life in jeapardy again. I would never forgive myself.

Originally Posted by GloriaJH

So, you're sure the FeLV virus only lives for a brief time?

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My source for this information is through the University of Colorado Vet school, who have been doing research on FeLV for a while now. Dr. Elsey (inventor of Cat Attract) consults with that university and I consulted with him at the time the kittens in my house were diagnosed. He did this because I adopted out 2 other kittens that were in my house at the same time and those 2 kittens became his patients. He called me for their history to help him on how far to go with his testing on them and we talked at length on current research.

It really doesn't live outside of its host very long. It's too fragile of a virus.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

My source for this information is through the University of Colorado Vet school, who have been doing research on FeLV for a while now. Dr. Elsey (inventor of Cat Attract) consults with that university and I consulted with him at the time the kittens in my house were diagnosed. He did this because I adopted out 2 other kittens that were in my house at the same time and those 2 kittens became his patients. He called me for their history to help him on how far to go with his testing on them and we talked at length on current research.

It really doesn't live outside of its host very long. It's too fragile of a virus.

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WOW! That's really helpful! Ah, you didn't know I was from Missouri - the Show Me State, did ya?! Although - I'm still wondering what the time frame is on "not very long". Am I looking at minutes, hours, or days?
Sorry - maybe I should ask you in a PM, although others may be interested, too?

Originally Posted by GloriaJH

WOW! That's really helpful! Ah, you didn't know I was from Missouri - the Show Me State, did ya?!

Although - I'm still wondering what the time frame is on "not very long".

Am I looking at minutes, hours, or days?
Sorry - maybe I should ask you in a PM, although others may be interested, too?

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Dr. Elsey told me no more than a few minutes. If you want to be on the safe side, assume an hour.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

Dr. Elsey told me no more than a few minutes. If you want to be on the safe side, assume an hour.

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One hour is reasonable - a far lot better than Days for sure.

After I handle him (tons of cuddles ya' know!!), the hands get washed with soap and very warm water or alcohol - ugh - poor hands!

Thanks Momomany, I'll breathe a lot easier now.

As most of you know, Attitude and Nuts(FeLV+ kittens) lived with Maude(approx 10 year old FeLV-) and they shared everything(and sometimes they touched noses or got in a bit of grooming) and she was negative the day she crossed the bridge(liver failure) and they had lived in the exact same space for months. They ate and drank from the same food and water bowls(they all had their own but as you know what the other ones has is always better), litter boxes(I had 4, once again they all consented to sharing), you name it they shared it. At one point I had a 3rd positive cat inside, that was Mama and she needed to be kept inside for 2 weeks after a week in the hospital following a rectal prolapse to make sure everything stayed where it was supposed to once she was on all dry food(Mama let herself out after a week and since she was doing fine I didn't argue with her.)

It is hard to infect an adult, pretty much there are only 2 ways to infect an adult cat- sex/mating or a serious bite. The amount of virus needed to infect 100% of neonate kittens would infect less than 30% of adult cats.

I currently have 6 positive cats. Nuts is inside, and Mama, Biter, Half-tail, Runt and Blue all live outside. Everyone but Blue(who just showed up one day and decided to stick around) is related Mama is Biter's mom and Biter is mom to Nuts, Half-tail, and Runt(Attitude was also hers.)

I didn't even know I had positive cats outside for over a year until I adopted Attitude and she came back positive at 8 weeks old. I didn't do anything special before(I didn't know they were sick, they never told me) never even washed my hands and Maude was never infected. It doesn't live long outside the body so sanitizing everything is overkill. I also got the figure of a few minutes to at absolute most an hour(for litterboxes or bowls due to moisture) from my vet.

Taryn

Good news on the gray tabby and white room kitty who tested positive for feline leukemia on the in house vet SNAP diagnostic. She is NOT feline leukemia positive! Apparently she was only exposed to feline leukemia, she did NOT contract it because it is NOT in her cells.

It's too bad that most vets won't recommend going the extra mile to do the additional blood lab test. They may be putting down many healthy kitties that just have had the misfortune to come in contact with the disease.

I suspect the majority of cats that test positive are in the same situation - those that don't die within a few years have effectively used bone marrow to produce the cells of the immune system that have fought off the virus.