Has anyone had a kitten that initially tested negative for feline leukemia and then positive for it later?
Two weeks ago, the fella brought home a new kitten (without my knowledge or consent) The woman who had the kittens said that she needed to find homes for the "7 week old kittens" because the mom was ill.
The conditions that the cat and the people lived in, I think clouded his visual judgment on how old the kitten actually was. She sure wasn't 7 weeks old.
I took her to the vet immediately and she tested negative for feline Leukemia, but the vet said that sometimes cats can test negative for it and then positive later. So I must keep her separate from the other cats, which is generally advisable anyway because of her tiny size.
In that time frame, of course, we've bonded to the kitten and enjoyed watching her grow. When she first arrived, she was probably about 25 days old, according to the vet. Still needed stimulation to pee and poop. Now she knows how to use the litter box and sucks down a good amount of food. She's gaining weight. Started out as a 12 oz kitty and now weighs over a pound, but still small.
I have to take her back after Christmas to get re-tested and I will be crushed if it turns out she does in fact test positive for FeLV. I understand that statistically, nothing is 100%. In fact, even though the other cats receive vaccinations for FeLV, I was advised to keep the kitten separate because the vaccines aren't 100% guarenteed.
The kitten, Simone, is adorable, feisty, playful, bright eyed and a real problem solver (which makes the containment issue more challenging). The other cats are curious, but keep their distance from the bouncing, darting, mewing kitten they see and just look at her across the barrier of cereal boxes, cardboard boxes and such that I have as a playpen "fence".
Needless to say, there's been a lot of time and effort to get her nuitrition she needs when she should still be nursing, but also significant enjoyment. I'll be so sad if she turns out to be infected.
I e-mailed the woman who gave away the kitten (on Craigslist) and she insisted the kitten was 7 weeks but then also claimed that the mother did have feline Leukemia. My vet knows this, but said that sometimes the kittens don't get it from their mothers. It could be that the woman just made it up, as she did the kitten's age.
Two weeks ago, the fella brought home a new kitten (without my knowledge or consent) The woman who had the kittens said that she needed to find homes for the "7 week old kittens" because the mom was ill.
The conditions that the cat and the people lived in, I think clouded his visual judgment on how old the kitten actually was. She sure wasn't 7 weeks old.
I took her to the vet immediately and she tested negative for feline Leukemia, but the vet said that sometimes cats can test negative for it and then positive later. So I must keep her separate from the other cats, which is generally advisable anyway because of her tiny size.
In that time frame, of course, we've bonded to the kitten and enjoyed watching her grow. When she first arrived, she was probably about 25 days old, according to the vet. Still needed stimulation to pee and poop. Now she knows how to use the litter box and sucks down a good amount of food. She's gaining weight. Started out as a 12 oz kitty and now weighs over a pound, but still small.
I have to take her back after Christmas to get re-tested and I will be crushed if it turns out she does in fact test positive for FeLV. I understand that statistically, nothing is 100%. In fact, even though the other cats receive vaccinations for FeLV, I was advised to keep the kitten separate because the vaccines aren't 100% guarenteed.
The kitten, Simone, is adorable, feisty, playful, bright eyed and a real problem solver (which makes the containment issue more challenging). The other cats are curious, but keep their distance from the bouncing, darting, mewing kitten they see and just look at her across the barrier of cereal boxes, cardboard boxes and such that I have as a playpen "fence".
Needless to say, there's been a lot of time and effort to get her nuitrition she needs when she should still be nursing, but also significant enjoyment. I'll be so sad if she turns out to be infected.
I e-mailed the woman who gave away the kitten (on Craigslist) and she insisted the kitten was 7 weeks but then also claimed that the mother did have feline Leukemia. My vet knows this, but said that sometimes the kittens don't get it from their mothers. It could be that the woman just made it up, as she did the kitten's age.