Need Advice/Help about FIV+ Cat ASAP Please!

I'm in a quandry and really hoping for some advice from those "in the know" please! Looking for those with firsthand knowledge of FIV+ cats and their care.

Yesterday I applied to adopt a cat from the local animal shelter (county services). I saw her on a local Facebook page that she was down to be euthanized the next morning (today). I actually went with another cat in mind, but this one totally chose me. I didn't even have the opportunity to take her out of the cage, but she was Ms. Personality Plus and just soo soo sweet. I was torn, but felt I had no choice but to take this one who begged me so convincingly. She is something special.

This evening the shelter called & left a message that she was ready to pick up tomorrow morning. A friend and volunteer with a local cat rescue (who had gotten her an extra day) told me to ask them about ABTs for the cat b/c she looked like she had a URI. I called the shelter back to ask about that. It was near closing and the vets had left. The tech I spoke with told me it was already taken care of, she was coming home with meds. I asked what they were, expecting doxy or zithro, etc. but she could not pronounce the name and said she'd never heard of it (neither have I, can't remember the name... started with R). When I questioned it, the tech noticed on the paper that the cat had been found to be FIV+ and thought she *might* have Feline Leukemia also, but wasn't sure. She admitted she wasn't supposed to be giving out information and that she couldn't answer any of my quetsions. She apologized and told me that a vet was supposed to have already called me and discussed the cat's health/diagnosis/prognosis with me, that it was signed off on that I, as the adopter, had agreed to take her anyway. 

This is new to me. I've had cats all my life, and at one point before I had children took in quite a few from a feral colony - there is a good chance at least one of them was FIV+. I have been trying to research this and so far I'm okay with it - she is just such a sweet sweet loving thing and I'd love to give her a home environment in whatever time she has left. 

However - what I am worried about really is medications and vet bills. We simply cannot afford regular high vet bills beyond the normal exams & shots, etc. We've had the ocassional emergency that we deal with, but we can't put $$$ into a cat that we know going in is going to be costly.  I am very torn.

To complicate this for me - I found this kitty on the FB page for cats due to be put down. Most know that I was trying to adopt her, and are encouraging me to go through with adoption (they know about the diagnosis through a shelter update). I'm already feeling pressure that I can't refuse her at this point, because now they are pointing out that she will be euthanized without another chance now, if I turn her down. I spoke at length with the friend who is involved in cat rescue and she is encouraging me of course to go through with it as well, although she did say that I obviously have to make the best decision for me and my family. We have three little children, 2 cats and a dog, and are in the process of buying our first home. I don't want to get in over my head. 

I keep hearing love over fear - set an example. I believe in love over fear - and I'm not fearful so much of her diagnosis, only that I will get into a financial hole over this. I'm sorry if that sounds insensitive because I am a huge cat lover, but if you have a young family you know what I mean.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to call and try to speak with one of the vets. I'm supposed to pick her up tomorrow morning - and if I say no, at this point, she's done. Her entire fate apparently is in my hands - ..... HELP?!  Need advice, your experiences with this, etc. etc.   

Thank you for reading and helping!

Aw, aren't you a love? :heart2: If she is both FeLV AND FIV, that's tough. That's really tough. FeLV IS passed easily between cats, and IMO it's not responsible to mix FeLV and non-FeLV cats. There are people that get their cats vaccinated for FeLV and risk it (and with adult cats, it's not a HUGE risk doing it that way).

But if it's just FIV, the main question is how is her health NOW. We trapped Chumley as part of our normal TNR stuff back in May 2010. He was a health mess, and it wasn't so much as it was costly - it was a number of vet visits, meds tried that didn't work, etc. until we decided to look for a holistic vet. She was trained in Chinese Meds (as well as being a traditional vet) and she got us on the right track IMMEDIATELY. But ALL of that was unrelated to his FIV. It was just the cost of fixing up a sick rescue kitty whose system was all out of whack. He's probably our healthiest kitty now, because he wasn't kibble fed for years. :anon: :lol3:

(Oh - we didn't release him because he was so aggressive. Turns out he was just starving. We don't normally test TNR kitties for FeLV/FIV, and we fostered him until the local rescue group could take him to put him up for adoption. THEN we took him to the vet, he was tested - and he came back to us that night because he tested positive for FIV. We then confirmed it with the Western Blot test - that costs around $180 (the confirmatory test to make sure it wasn't a false positive). Now - bear in mind that if it's a possibility that this cat was vaccinated for FIV, she'll test positive for FIV, but not have the virus. I don't know if the Western Blot can distinguish between infection and vaccination. That's a question for the vet when you speak to them.

Most FIV kitties are asymptomatic, and remain that way if you provide a healthy diet. Of course, that's really true for all kitties - a proper diet for an obligate carnivore helps prevent all kinds of problems when they're seniors. There are a few small steps you can take to support their immune systems that will or should help slow down the progression of the virus. They ARE prone to dental problems, so an annual dental is a good idea. Not mandatory - but checking in on their teeth as regularly as you can is something to budget for. Chumley needed three teeth removed on his first dental, but there hasn't been an issue since. (He's been with us three years now).

Feeding a high protein, low-carb, no grain (species-appropriate) wet food diet will help. That doesn't have to be expensive: Friskies pates and Fancy Feast classics fit the bill, though there are higher quality choices. (I feed my cats raw food now, but unless you can afford commercial raw, with all you've got going on in life that sounds like it might be a bit much). Giving him probiotics will help support his immune system (true for all cats), and an omega 3 supplement like salmon oil (500mg daily) will help reduce internal inflammation (true for all cats - and people!). A capsule of lactoferrin daily (I just started doing this - I use Jarrow) should help slow down the progression of the virus AND help support healthy teeth and gums.

Of course there are no guarantees. The virus may progress, and the kitty equivalent of HIV may become the kitty equivalent of AIDS. The biggest risks there are that if or as the virus progresses, they then become more susceptible to other illnesses, and those may then need more aggressive treatment (for instance, stronger antibiotics for a longer period of time). But if she's indoor only, and you don't foster on a regular basis or volunteer at a shelter where you might bring something home, that's not a big risk. They can go through periods of inappetance, and you may need to assist feed or have a feeding tube put in - but that's not overly expensive. These are all possibilities - not probabilities.

I know I didn't provide any clear cut answers. But I hope this helps. :heart2: :rub:

LDG said:

Aw, aren't you a love? :heart2: If she is both FeLV AND FIV, that's tough. That's really tough. FeLV IS passed easily between cats, and IMO it's not responsible to mix FeLV and non-FeLV cats.
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Agree on both counts!! You are a LOVE. and that it is not responsible of this person to tell you on the side - that a cat "may" have FeLV. They should let you know up front about this because FeLV IS deadly and this cat should not be around any other cats other than another FeLV + cat.

Hun, really, IF this cat is positive for FeLV, then let her go OR let the shelter do what they must. I know it is hard - but we can't save them all (as much as I wish it were so. :shame. :heart3: All my best to you and we are here for you no matter what. We care.

p.s. I am glad that Laurie (LDG) replied to your thread. Because when I saw your thread title - I knew LDG was the one to give you info. on FIV which is not a death sentence like FeLK is.

Thank you both!! I talked to another staff member this morning and they confirmed she is FIV  positive but not for leukemia. However, they said she is "very, very sick" and having some difficulty recovering after surgery, whatever that means. They want to hold her until Tuesday to get her antibiotics working. They did say they strongly recommend not taking in an FIV cat with other cats in the home. The staff member said she has seen cats infect others just through playful biting (saliva into bloodstream).

Meanwhile, I am thinking this is just not the right fit for us at the time. I feel burdened b/c this rescue group is now telling me I should save her and give her a chance, but no one is offering to take her otherwise. I've asked that they understand if we can't take her (if she's sicker than we realized) and that to be fair, I was the only one who went to the shelter in the first place to adopt her (she would have been euthansized yesterday had I not put in for her). I don't want to be vilified, but no one is saying anything other than I should give her a chance. Very frustrating. I've asked them for help to find a rescue or someone who is in a better position to take in an ill cat, but they do not answer those questions. I am not tryign to lay blame on them but just wish they would understand if we need to let her go She is a very very sweet thing, but it may be her time. I would not have gone down to even look at a cat if I hadn't seen the post on Facebook. 

I soo appreciate your advice and time, it's very helpful.

girl920, you have to do what is right for you and your family. :heart2: It's not an easy decision, and I'm sorry the group is pressuring you.

But yes, taking on a sick rescue kitty, no matter the situation, can be a lot of work at first. ALL of our indoor-only pets are feral rescues (that we did on our own) - most of them are our pets because they had health issues, and we wouldn't adopt out a sick animal, handing someone a bill, basically. Not to mention the time that must be put into it.

As to the FIV being passed with casual biting... I guess it's possible. None of my vets have ever seen it happen, and in the three years I've been actively involved in FIV kitty advocacy, I've never heard of it happening. But that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Here is research info on it, just for your future reference, if an FIV rescue kitty crosses your path again: http://www.fivtherapy.com/fiv_casualtransmission.htm

I understand, and it's best for all of you that you do what's right for you and your family. :heart2:

for kitty.

Honestly, if you can't take her you can't take her.  There are literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of healthy cats (and even kittens!) put down each year because a home ca't be found for them.  If, on careful reflection, you believe the fit can't work at this time for your family, there is absolutely no shame in adopting a healthy adult cat instead and giving them a chance at a forever home that they may not have had either.

I will say that if  she is only FIV+ in general I'd say this is not necessarily a big deal- most FIV+ cats raised in a healthy indoor only home will be just fine and not end up having higher vet bills than a non-FIV+ cat- but given that she is so sick now, I would probably have reservations myself, especially with 2 other cats. Is there any way you can see if she looks better Tues? Or are you feeling more certain that even if she does look better you can't take her? If so you are probably not doing her any favors by putting off telling the shelter

Good luck with the decision.  I am sorry that people are guilting you.