FELV, unlike FIV (which is the feline equivalent of the aids virus) is evidently much more easily transmitted from one cat to another (although there are some owners who dispute this).
They say it can happen from sharing food and water dishes even. However, most frequently it comes from bites when cats are fighting or mating. And it can be passed in utero from mother cat to kittens.
If its a kitten diagnosed, that is a very high fatality rate because of their undeveloped immune systems. So, its usually kinder to euthanize them.
However, if they’ve survived to adulthood then its more or less dormant for years until they’re older when cats succumb to all sorts of things (again due to weakened immunity).
As long as they’re kept indoors and segregated from other cats they are fine. (All of my cats have always been strictly indoor only and, believe it or not, have never gotten out.)
Any of the rescue groups which do take in FELV cats make sure they are fixed so they can’t breed, and that’s what I did with Binxy.
But, in all likelihood, that’s how she contracted the virus. Her previous owners were pretty careless about a lot of things and admitted that she had gotten out several times when in heat and had a litter of kittens each time. So she likely became infected when mating.
Interestingly, the other thing I found alarming and asked the Vet about was this black nasal discharge and thick crusted gunk all around the outside of her nose.
It had largely gradually disappeared since I first got her. He just chuckled and said not to worry cuz she’s now in a clean home. I’m really not that great a housekeeper and said so.
But he relied “you don’t smoke” and then the light bulb came on. If anyone doubts how pervasive smoking can be and the dangers of secondhand smoke, that was the perfect object lesson. Good grief ! !
Anyhow, back to your questions. The various cats which I’ve referenced have been in my life over a 40 year period of time. The most cats I’ve ever had simultaneously is three so I’m def not a crazy cat lady. And even three was beginning to be a challenge the more my knee cartilage started giving out :)
Carting three cat crates to the vets office was starting to be a physical challenge. So, right now I have no cats and for the past ten years its been two at the most and usually just one.
And I’m much more inclined to adopt lightweight 5 lb. cats rather than the gigantors 12–18 pounders I’ve had in the past. It really makes a difference with a 5 lb. cat in a carrier rather than one weighing 3X that :)
Your other question is interesting and the answer is likely NO for a few reasons. The first being financial. The second being ignorance. Most people don’t get their cats tested even if they have multiple cats. I have always kept a new cat strictly separate from my others until I get them tested but a lot of people don’t.
And some shelters and rescue groups routinely test for both FIV and FELV but others don’t. And that’s primarily due to budget concerns.
I do know that every shelter I called in this area does routinely euthanize if either disease is present and that makes sense. When you’re euthanizing cats every day cuz there’s no more room it makes no sense to kill a healthy cat rather than one with a communicable disease.
I really don’t know what the policies are for groups who deal with communities of feral cats. Their general policy is to stabilize a community of cats by using a TNR approach and then feeding the ones there regularly.
That stands for Trap, Neuter, and Release. I’m guessing that if they have the funds, they would test but most have slim budgets and rely on volunteers.
It would be a laudable goal to try to eradicate these two cat diseases, but unless every single cat owner gets them tested…
Well, you see the problem. Heck, there have been spay/neuter campaigns for tons of years (and Bob Barker on TV EVERY day) and the shelters are still full to the max with unfixed animals and the kittens they produce.
Responsible pet owners do get their animals fixed and tested for diseases. But as Binxy illustrated, there are a whole slew of irresponsible clueless pet owners.
Had she been promptly spayed, its highly unlikely that she would have contracted the virus in the first place. Its pretty unlikely she had it as a kitten because the mortality rate for kittens is so high.
But she’s now in a home where she is indoors with a knowledgeable owner so its pretty damn unlikely that she will ever transmit this to any other cat. So killing her would serve no purpose.
And, from what I could tell, the people who form rescue groups for FELV cats are likewise cognizant of the necessity of not spreading the disease further so they only deal with neutered animals and keep them strictly segregated from other cats.
And, had I not been able to find a placement for her with a knowledgeable owner (not just pass her off to the next unknowing sucker) I would have had to euthanize her and I knew that. I am at rock bottom a realist.
And truth be told, it was her loving nature that saved her. Had she been a hostile and stand-offfish type of cat it would have been a lot easier to make a decision to euthanize.
That’s sounds kinda harsh but it is the hard truth. And that’s also why some shelter animals get adopted more readily than others. I guess its the ultimate example of survival of the fittest (or in this case, the friendliest).
But she was so sweet that I figured it was worth at least making an effort to try to give her a chance. And if Velvet had died a year sooner, I would still have Binxy.
Such is life.
Composing members:
0
Composing members:
0
