Is there a cheap way to test for FELV? (non-vet)

Hi,

Not sure if you all remember me or not, I adopted 2 Ragdoll kittens from a rescue and ended up getting a call that the rescue messed up and they both tested positive for FELV.

They ended up going to a home for FELV+ kitties and are still happy and healthy (for the moment) so semi-happy ending. Broke my heart though, but I couldn't handle knowing that they only had a short time to live. 

Anyway, I have been looking for Ragdoll kittens since then, and I found some on Craigslist. These aren't from a breeder, a lady ended up with a Ragdoll that she thought was fixed, and she had a non-fixed Siamese male cat at home. So... kittens happened. I'm guessing if her male isn't fixed, she's not big on shots and vet check ups...

Anyway, she's adopting them out but they haven't had any vet work done, so I'm terrified that if I drive (90 mins) to get them, and bring them to the vet, they might test positive for FELV. 

Is there a cheap, instant way to test them for FELV when I go to visit them? All of the SNAP test I'm looking at online are more than $100 each. 

Thanks in advance!

Paiger816 said:

 
Hi,

Thanks in advance!

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Hi

I want to re-frame your questions a bit if you don't mind.  I personally would never, never ever, never never, never ever never (you follow? adopt a cat from a person, a breeder, a shelter, or anywhere that did not already test their cats or kittens in advance, and in the case of a breeder or private person, they would also need to show me the test result in writing from the vet.  Otherwise >>> I.would.walk.away.

Yes if you know how to draw a cat's blood and  you had an experienced handler who knows how to hold a cat for a blood draw and  if you could buy a single snap test from a vet, you could do this at the breeder's home and have a result in 10 minutes.  But assuming you can't answer yes to all 3 parts of that statement then really the best you can do is risk going through what you went through before, chances may be low, but there is a related issue:  This breeder sounds like s/he doesn't do much for her cats if she will just breed and sell cheaply.  Where is the vet care?  Does she give you a written contract?  What will she do for you if your cat goes home and gets sick the next day?

The breeder does not sound professional, nor particularly reputable if they won't pay for a snap test on their own at their vet especially since they are probably charging you a lot of money for a ragdoll.  If they aren't charging you a lot, then even more worrisome.

Why drive 90 miles to get an amateur breeder's non-tested under-vetted cat?  Does this even sound remotely reasonable?  You're focused on the testing, i'm focused on this breeder.  Why not adopt a homeless cat from a shelter?  EDIT: and as @Kat0121  says below in her post, you would be much better off going to a reputable breeder who will stand behind their kitten and do all the vet work saving you heartache and money.  You've been through this before, why do this to yourself again?

With respect to ragdoll breeder: I.would.walk.Away.

EDIT: Thanks to @NewYork1303  says below, if the breeder doesn't do this simple blood test, then they probably aren't doing  initial vaccinations, deworming, flea treatments either and your setting yourself up for heartache.

I also would be concerned about the situation that you're getting these kittens from. Not vetting at all means it will fall to you to do all testing, shots, deworming, flea treatments, everything. I would not adopt one of these kittens from this situation. You would be better off looking for Ragdoll rescues than adopting one of these cats. This situation has the potential for a lot of heartbreak, stress, and expense on your end.

@StephenQ   is 100% correct. This person has all the markings of a backyard breeder (cat version of a puppy mill). Walk away. You're setting yourself up for heartache. If you have your heart set on a Ragdoll, please find a reputable breeder who knows about the breed, cares about the animals he/she helps bring into the world and has animals that are vetted regularly. The kitten will cost more in the beginning but you will be getting what you pay for. A reputable breeder also stands behind the kittens that they sell after they are in their new home. Backyard breeders do not. They are already focused on getting the next litter born and out the door. It's all about money for them. Nothing more, nothing less. Vetting a kitten prior to sale cuts into their profits and they hate that. 

Yeah, I believe I am going to walk away. I have been checking rescues and shelters for around a year and have not found any yet. They don't have to be purebred, just the Ragdoll temperament. I had a Ragdoll growing up and I fell in love with the breed.

I don't believe this lady is a breeder, she just sounds like someone who doesn't fix her animals. 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Paiger816 said:

 
Yeah, I believe I am going to walk away. I have been checking rescues and shelters for around a year and have not found any yet. They don't have to be purebred, just the Ragdoll temperament. I had a Ragdoll growing up and I fell in love with the breed.

I don't believe this lady is a breeder, she just sounds like someone who doesn't fix her animals. 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

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That's good to hear.

If you don't have your heart set on a purebred Ragdoll, please consider going to a shelter or a rescue to see what they have. They do vet their cats. They also have every color, personality type, and age you can think of and you'll be saving 2 lives. The cat you adopt and the one that the shelter brings in to take his/her spot. They might not have what you want but you might be surprised. You'll never know if you don't look. All 3 of my cats came from shelters and I wouldn't have it any other way. 3 very different personalities and all are so much fun in their own way and they all bring so much love.  

I agree with the other posters, you are asking for trouble.  If you want a purebred cat (Any purebred animal, really), then you should be looking for a responsible, ethical breeder.  This means they a) will probably not be anywhere near you, b) will have tons of questions for YOU about the home you will provide, c) they will not have any kittens available at the moment for you to buy, d) they will not be cheap.

The reason why you want a purebred cat, a Ragdoll in this case, is for the temperament, so you need to find a breeder who breeds not just for the looks but for the that temperament as well.  A responsible breeder will not have half-Ragdoll kittens, because they're trying to better the breed, not create mutt kitties.  Let the breeder know that you are not looking for a show cat, or are open to a cat that gets returned...out of a litter of 3-6, less than half will be good show candidates for whatever reason, and sometimes older kittens or adults will be returned to the breeder.  But it won't happen overnight.  I suggest contacting the nearest TICA club or looking for the national Ragdoll club, as they may have references available to breeders.

Or stick with looking at rescues and shelters, knowing that Ragdolls aren't common, and that it can be hard to judge temperament when the cat is in a stressful situation.

And to answer your original question...whenever I take kittens from owner surrenders, I either require them to have a representative tested by a vet for FeLV, or I bring my holder, my SNAP kits, and do it before I agree to take the kittens.  It is an easy test that doesn't have to be done in a vet's office or by a vet, but they don't sell SNAP kits in singles usually.  You could ask to buy one off a vet, but that's only assuming you have someone to restrain the cat, and you know how to draw blood and run the test.  It's quite easy to run, but usually getting the blood is the hard part.  Kittens are squirmy and have small veins.  Even though all you need is three drops, it can be hard to get if you or your holder doesn't know what they're doing.

It sounds like the OP has already made up their mind - but to echo everyone else above, I would NEVER spend money on purchasing an animal that did not have its initial vetting (vaccines and FeLV/FIV test - a good breeder should be able to guarantee FeLV/FIV negative kittens since the parents should both be negative as well - so there shouldn't even be a remote chance that the kittens would test positive).

Good on you for walking away OP -  I also urge you to visit a shelter or rescue - you will save a life!!

I wouldn't pay any money to take these kittens, but if they're being given away free I might go for it. Whenever you get a cat/kitten from an unknown source there's a risk, but FeLV isn't super common in most areas so I don't feel it's an unacceptable risk. You would have to bring them to the vet right away to be tested, and realize that FeLV tests aren't 100% accurate in young kittens. If the parents are reasonably well-cared-for housepets I feel like the risk is minimal. If the father is allowed to roam free the risk would be higher, although if this is the mother's first contact she may not have had time to pass it on to the kittens


I've taken in many cats from unknown sources and none have ever tested positive for FeLV, although one of my grandma's cats did, and another rescue I know of. Ask your vet how prevalent it is in your area.

But definitely I would NOT pay any money to this person, except maybe $20-$30 a kitten to cover kitten chow and litter costs, and weed out the riff-raff.

On board with everyone as well here - excellent advice. Some, and I say some, shelter's with vets on staff will help out the community cats and their people by offering SNAP tests for $5.00 (the one I volunteer for does this as a service). They also offer other inexpensive tests and vaccines at low-cost too. Just wanted to add this in here!

Paiger816 said:

 
Yeah, I believe I am going to walk away. I have been checking rescues and shelters for around a year and have not found any yet. They don't have to be purebred, just the Ragdoll temperament. I had a Ragdoll growing up and I fell in love with the breed.

I don't believe this lady is a breeder, she just sounds like someone who doesn't fix her animals. 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

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Have you looked at petfinder.org and plugged in your zip code?

@StepenQ is right about checking Petfinder.org as well as Adopt-A-Pet and RescueMe.org which has groups by state and breed.  My own small rescue did get 3 Ragdolls last year and I adopted them all out into good homes.  People often get tired of the maintenance, grooming that long hair, etc., and their lives get busy, or they neglect them and they get matted and need professional grooming before being placed in a new home.  I never charged more than our normal adoption fee for Ragdolls (even though some larger rescue groups charge more just to help support the other cats).  The three I got were gorgeous and sweet and all did very well.  If you are patient, you can leave your name with some of the smaller rescue groups and get pre-approved if a Ragdoll does come in.