Who know about Cat FIV?

Hi there...consider joining a FIV online support discussion group:

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http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/FIVCats/

Description

A discussion group for caretakers with cats who are living with FIV or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. This group allows caretakers to discuss various treatments of both holistic and traditional medicine and support each other in the task of caring for these special cats.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus infects 2.5% of cats in the US. It is transmitted by deep bites and mating behavior. It cannot be transmitted by casual contact and it is not a death sentence.

If you have an emergency with your FIV+ cat or kitten, please contact your veterinarian or the nearest emergency veterinary clinic.

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http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/FIVCats2/

Description

FIVCats2 is devoted to the free exchange of ideas and information relating to the care of cats with FIV, the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. Whether you are a seasoned cat-caretaker or a total 'newbie,' we encourage on-topic, lively dialogue in a moderated setting that offers security from spamming and other forms of intrusion.

For security purposes, messages by new members require approval. However, if there is an EMERGENCY post or response that must get to the list immediately, please contact one of the moderators and we can either allow the message to go out right away, or if necessary, send it out as a Special Notice to all group members. The moderators of this group may be contacted at the following email addresses:

Susan: susan_hoffman@yahoo.com

MC: tenhousecats@gmail.com (YM: TenHouseCats)

Alma: almahw@qwest.net

i had a cat that had FIV though the vet referred to it more as luekemia. I first noticed a behavior difference. He became very aggressive and I had just finished loving him before i left. He attacked my back and scratched me and bit me viciously. Luckily i was leaving to go outside to do chores in the very cold winter so i had insulated overalls on. Had i not had these the scratches would have been very severe. That was his only wild outburst and just let it go that he had gotten set off and was upset about something. I really wondered when eh lost all his hair. It wasn't excess licking either he was a bottle fed kitten and litterally refused to lick himself i bathed him. I was his mom an dsince i don't lick myself lol well you get the point. He lived for about a year as this was when i was 10 years old. Then the vets weren't prepared for medications etc that they do have now. That and they were a very small town not much advanced in technology anyway. He was my 4 h show cat and we took champion even bald. He died chewing his paw off adn it was the most horrible thing to see driving him to the vet to be put down. He had a seizure and bit clear through his paw the seizure was killing him.

I can't share experiences with you and I can refer you to www.littlebigcat.com. Dr. Jean Hovfe has an article there titled, "Living with FIV". Some of what she says may be useful to you.

Formerly diagnosis for FIV was a death sentence for cats. It is wonderful that you have taken on two of these cats who can have healthy lives.

first of all, Kudos for you taking in and loving 2 kitties with FIV!! most people won't take on the responsibility of taking care of a cat with a life threatening illness! in my opinion, their just like any other healthy cat!! I can't say that I have any experiences myself with cats that have that illness though. from the previous two answers I would also suggest to you that if there is a new vaccine for cats with FIV available now than you should probably take them to have it! I would!! Good Luck with your two sweet babies!!! =^-^=

Yes, I had a cat with Feline Leukemia. He had a red line on his gums, but his gums were pale. He was very lovable, and lived to be about 2, before he began bleeding internally, and had to be put to sleep.

I have heard they can live a long time with this disease. My cat was not that lucky. This is a very contagious disease. Best to keep kitties indoors, if at all possible. Best wishes.

have your cats ever been vaccinated for fiv? it is a new vaccine that is a live vaccine. when they are tested, they will test positive for it. if you adopted them, you might want to find out if they were vaccinated prior to you adopting them. i hope that is what it is, but if not, i hope they show no symptoms for a long time.