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FeLV - To test or not to test?

post #1 of 10
7/13/11 at 7:13pm
Thread Starter 
I'm adopting an 11-12 week kitten next week. She is from the home of a friend, whose cat had a litter. She's been staying in a house with an indoor/outdoor dog (well, all dogs are indoor/outdoor, lol!) for about 1 month.

Given the high rate of false positives for young kittens, and the need to retest later as a result, and also given her circumstances growing up, do you think should I pay for the test at the vet's office before I bring her home as a precaution for the health of my current kittens?
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post #2 of 10
7/13/11 at 7:56pm
YES!! Most definitely get her tested.
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post #3 of 10
7/13/11 at 8:00pm
I agree with Stephanie.

It's true that there are false positives, and it's good to be aware of that, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
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post #4 of 10
7/13/11 at 9:45pm
Thread Starter 
Sounds good! Will do!
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post #5 of 10
7/13/11 at 10:24pm
I am glad to read that you've decided to have the FeLV/FIV test done on your new kitten. While it is true that there are false positives where young kittens are concerned, the majority of test results are accurate. And, I am a strong advocate of always testing where possible.

Since you have two other negative kitties, I think you're making a wise decision in having your newest addition tested. If she were a lone kitten, I would still recommend having her tested, but, perhaps, there would be less of a sense of urgency about it. I work at a vet clinic and we test young kittens and, in many cases, it has wound up being a saving grace as other cats in the home can contract and become ill from FeLV. In my opinion, FIV is not as serious a risk or concern, but with the casual contraction of FeLV, it's best not to risk exposure to the illness. It is devastating for all involved and I would rather a false positive with proper precautions being taken than not testing and then finding out that not one, but all of your kitties are affected.

I know how much you care for and love your kitties and I'm sure your newest baby will be adored just as much. Having her tested for FeLV/FIV is just one way for you to show how much you do for your furry family members. I'm glad to read you're on board -- best wishes on your newest love and many vibes that she is negative .
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post #6 of 10
7/14/11 at 5:12am
In my opinion, while testing to see if they're positive is good for the kitty being adopted, it's really more to protect the kitties you already have more than anything.
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post #7 of 10
7/17/11 at 7:51pm
I guess my question would be has the mother been tested? Do you know the father? That would give you a better indication as to if it was a "false" positive if you had at least the mother tested. When we adopted my Grace from foster care we had her tested and we knew the mom was negative. Our vet recommended that we get once negative test knowing the mom was negative and not knowing about the dad. IF we got a positive then we could guess it was false but we would test again in 6 weeks - if that was negative then we would take that as the true result.
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post #8 of 10
7/18/11 at 5:40pm
Better to be safe than sorry - it's not worth the money to be worried about your resident cats as well as this new baby.
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post #9 of 10
7/18/11 at 5:49pm
Thread Starter 
She is definitely getting tested at her vet appointment on Friday at 9am.

Her mom is not available to be tested as far as I know. If we get a positive result back, I will contact my friend to try & get in contact with Joni's mom.

I'm hoping everything goes smoothly!
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post #10 of 10
7/18/11 at 10:44pm

for a good outcome!
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