Desperatley need help in Dallas

Hello all. I have a major dilemma here. My girlfriend and I recently found out that her ex-husband's cat was diagnosed with FIV a couple of years ago. The problem is that her ex-husband's cat is now her cat. She is now living with me, and I have 3 cats. Since we found out about her cat's diagnosis, we have had to keep her cat seperated from the other cats (my male cat does not like the new kitty in the house).

Her cat is not happy at all being confined in one room all the time. What we really need is to find a new home for her cat. This cat is beautiful... snow white, with the bluest eyes you've ever seen. His disposition is wondeful, a real cuddler. Regarding his FIV diagnosis, he shows no symptoms as of now. He has been well taken care of. He is also completley house trained.

If anyone out there can help us in locating a good home for him, we would be very grateful. This cat is not happy with the living situation he is in now, but it's the best that we can do for him considering the other cats in the house. Please do contact me through e-mail if you can help. Thanks so much.

I'll move this to Cats SOS where it belongs.

I understand your concern....however, FIV is not casually spread to other cats...there are actually many people who have mixed households.

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

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 can post about this cat on these sites:

http://www.homestead.com/felinecompanions/
http://www.petswithdisabilities.org/
http://www.felinerescue.net/RESCUES_...CIAL_NEEDS.htm
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/disabled-cats-rescue/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Special_Needs_Rescue/

there are pleanty of articles about fiv either on this site or on the net. the only way you need to treat your cat differently is minimise his/her exposure to the outside so he/she cant contract any illness which might otherwise overwhelm an already weak immune system.

fiv is quite a fragile disease and is fairly hard to pass on. for a cat to catch it it needs to have recieved a 'deep penetrating bite'* from an fiv+ cat or be born with it.

if this is the only problem you have with the cat please re-consider re-homing it. some shelters euthanise fiv cats as they cant compete with healthy kittens for a permanent home.

*my vet classified a deep bite as one which requires stitches

Sounds like a very nice cat, I am so sad to hear of its illness. I don't have any advice or links, but I do wish you all the best in finding him a new home if you decide you cannot keep him.

You have been given some very good advice on FIV! Perhaps you will be able to keep the new kitty - your male cat may be picking up your concerns about the newcomer, and is reacting accordingly! She sounds like a wonderful cat though, and would make a good companion cat. From dealing with my daughter's brain injury, I have learned the value of a companion cat. dogs are good, too, but the cats seem to require less maintenance (they can be exercised easier, & it's easier to clean the box, than to go out several times a day with a pooper-scooper,etc.) and offer more interactions that are stimulating to the mind. Please keep us posted - you have been wonderful to your g-friend to take in her cat, since you have 3 already! Susan

In a mixed household for over 10 years. I had to put her to sleep a few weeks ago, but she never infected any of the other resident kitties, of which there were quite a few over the years.