Maybe this will give someone with an FeLV &/or FIV cat encouragement....
Howie showed up in my backyard in early September. He was crouching under a tree looking scared when I, “Here kitty, kitty’s” him and he came running. His fur was unkempt, he was painfully thin and covered with ticks. I gave him the name, “Hungry Howie” based on his ability to down two 5.5 ounce cans of cat food in under three minutes. After he ate, he allowed me to begin cleaning him up and I noticed he has six-toes on each front paw - looks like he’s wearing kitchen mitts! His paw pads were still fairly soft, a tip off that he was or recently had been someone’s pet. I placed a lost and found ad in our local paper and his photo and information on Craigslist and Tabby Tracker with no success. I went to each of my neighbors including those whose homes back up to my property. Several indicated they thought he might belong to one of two houses they pointed out. One was vacant - the other for sale. A message left for the realtor got me nowhere. My guess is he either got lost or was dumped when his owner moved.
I set Howie up with an enclosed heated cuddler on my large covered back porch with an endless supply of food and water. I started looking for a home for him. I have two large dogs who’ve accepted “their” two cat brothers as part of the pack but it was no easy task. I figured Howie’d had enough challenges that he might enjoy a quiet house where he’d be the king of the roost. That said, Howie had no qualms about wanting to come in the house - including walking right in. I began putting the dogs in a room with the door shut to allow for “Howie Time”. From the beginning it was easy to tell he’d lived in a home; he meowed at the fridge, wasn’t the least bit scared of the disposal running in the kitchen sink, and made himself at home snoozing on the back of the couch. He got into the cat toy bin and had a field day - he’s favorite toy being a catnip-filled banana,
As winter was coming on fast, I ramped up my efforts to get him a home and lucked out when my veterinarian agreed to take him in, bring him up to speed on his vaccines, neuter him and sponsor him through the SPCA. With a week to go before his appointment I started working with him on getting into the cat carrier. The morning of his appointment he walked right in to get the dish of sardines tucked inside. He wasn’t happy when I shut the door, but quickly calmed down. He seemed to enjoy the ride in the car and despite being a bit scared when we were first in the exam room, he behaved better than my own cats.
The next day I mentioned to my husband how I wish we could just keep Howie. The hubs had been pretty set on two dogs and two cats being enough so I was really surprised when I got home from work find that he’d left a message for our vet telling her he’d be by to pick up Howie in the morning. At the same time he was calling her, she was leaving a message for me that Howie was FeLV & FIV positive - a surprise to her and unusual for a cat to be positive on both counts.
My vet is of a rare breed - the type that goes on vacation and ends up being a 'vet with out borders'. She felt there was no need to euthanize Howie since at this point he's in good health. His confirmation testing will be in late February and with any luck one or both will come back indicating a false positive. In the meantime, he has his own room with his own litter box, heated bed, toys, treats, grooming kit. If he does test positive, I plan to have other cats vaccinated for FIV - they've all been vaccinated for FeLV for years.
Howie loves to be picked up and held like a baby on your shoulder and will sit on his hind legs and beg to get you to do so. He really likes Whisker Lickin’s Crunchy Cat Treats and Whiskas Cat Milk as well as any canned cat food and cleans his plate by scooping up the food with his paws. He’ll let you pet him all over including his tummy.
Prior to his diagnosis and quarantine, he did not scratch the furniture, soil outside of the litter box, bite or scratch at my two cats. He would followed me from room to room and would sit in my lap while I read the paper. Howie loves to be loved. Given the hand he was dealt and the amount of love he's got to give, there's no way I'll put him down until his day to cross the bridge comes.