Help!! Fiv Positive Cat

I brought a 7 month old feral male into my vet for TNR and she told me that he is FIV positive. What can I do??? I've been calling shelters all over to find a home, but no one seems to be able to help me. The vet said that I can't bring the cat into my home with my 2 cats because of the chance of them catching it via fighting. No one else I know will take a feral, FIV positive cat. Other than kitty heaven, what are my alternatives??? I am SO sad.

I would have the cat retested....there are actually times when there is a false positive. Here is a good article about FIV:

http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimal...e/cats_fiv.cfm

What I would do is contact the Best Friends Network. Explain the situation and see if they can send out an email to their network members in your area to try to find someone willing to foster or even adopt this kitten. Thanks for considering alternatives to "kitten heaven"

Contact the Best Friends Network: at (435) 644-2001 ext 123, or e-mail them at [email protected]

FIV Facts


1. The Feline Immuno-deficiency Virus is a slow virus that affects a cat's immune system over a period of years.


2. FIV is a cat-only disease and cannot be spread to humans or other non-felines.


3. FIV cats most often live long, healthy, and relatively normal lives with no symptoms at all.


4. FIV is not easily passed between cats. It cannot be spread casually - like in litter boxes, water and food bowls, or when snuggling and playing. It is rarely spread from a mother to her kittens.


5. The virus can be spread through blood transfusions, badly infected gums, or serious, penetrating bite wounds. (Bite wounds of this kind are extremely rare, except in free-roaming, unneutered tomcats.)


6. A neutered cat, in a home, is extremely unlikely to infect other cats, if properly introduced.


7. Many vets are not educated about FIV since the virus was only discovered 15 years ago.


8. FIV-positive cats should be kept as healthy as possible. Keep them indoors and free from stress, feed them a high-quality diet, keep and treat any secondary problems as soon as they arise.

You will likely have a problem not only because of the stigma of the disease, but of the fact the cat is a stray. It will take someone with the know-how of adopting him and the time to socialize him so he won't fight-

You can try here:

http://www.bemikitties.com/felv/cgi-...lassifieds.cgi

Don't blame the rescue organizations and the shelters for turning you down. They have the other cats to think about, and worry about.

Good luck~

Hissy,

Thanks so much for the info. I have been calling every place I can find on the web and asking lots of questions. One comment that I've heard from several people is that when they catch strays, they don't get them tested at all and that I should re-release my kitty. They say that he most likely will not be fighting too much as a neutered cat and that I should only bring him back to be euthanized if he displays symptoms. Any thoughts on re-releasing an FIV positive cat since I can't find a home? I just hate the thought of having him killed because I brought him in.