On the morning of November 1, 2008, after our first particularly depressing Halloween in California, my boyfriend Michael and I
were all ready waiting outside for the Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary in Sacramento to open. We had arrived early and had another
half hour to wait, but we didn’t mind. We needed a cat in our house. We had just moved across the country and were alone,
3,000 miles away from everything we were familiar with. Our apartment still lacked furniture as we were waiting for it to arrive. I
couldn’t spend another minute in the house without a feline companion. Both of our cats had crossed over the rainbow bridge our
senior year of college, and now over a year later we were finally ready for a new friend.
The shelter opened at 11am and we were the first ones inside, I was immediately swarmed by kitties. I have always been one of
those people that cats just gravitate towards; I think I get it from my grandmother. Stray cats wander up to me on the streets and
allow me to pick them up and carry them away, they must sense I’m going to feed them and take care of them. I was looking for
the perfect cat. At one point a large black and white puff ball jumped into my lap and looked right into my eyes. He had an
adorable pink nose and big bright eyes that just begged me to take him with me. His poofy cheeks could have convinced me of
almost anything; until one of the shelter volunteers informed me he had FIV. I didn’t think I was ready for that kind of a
commitment, I didn’t even know that much about FIV in cats. Mike and I wanted to move abroad in a few years, we had our eyes
set on Europe and France, living in the city of lights. I knew that River, no matter how sweet he was, could never be a part of
these plans.
were all ready waiting outside for the Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary in Sacramento to open. We had arrived early and had another
half hour to wait, but we didn’t mind. We needed a cat in our house. We had just moved across the country and were alone,
3,000 miles away from everything we were familiar with. Our apartment still lacked furniture as we were waiting for it to arrive. I
couldn’t spend another minute in the house without a feline companion. Both of our cats had crossed over the rainbow bridge our
senior year of college, and now over a year later we were finally ready for a new friend.
The shelter opened at 11am and we were the first ones inside, I was immediately swarmed by kitties. I have always been one of
those people that cats just gravitate towards; I think I get it from my grandmother. Stray cats wander up to me on the streets and
allow me to pick them up and carry them away, they must sense I’m going to feed them and take care of them. I was looking for
the perfect cat. At one point a large black and white puff ball jumped into my lap and looked right into my eyes. He had an
adorable pink nose and big bright eyes that just begged me to take him with me. His poofy cheeks could have convinced me of
almost anything; until one of the shelter volunteers informed me he had FIV. I didn’t think I was ready for that kind of a
commitment, I didn’t even know that much about FIV in cats. Mike and I wanted to move abroad in a few years, we had our eyes
set on Europe and France, living in the city of lights. I knew that River, no matter how sweet he was, could never be a part of
these plans.
In the three years we have shared our lives with River, the only negative response to his FIV we have encountered is from
uninformed individuals. We traded vets twice before finding the wonderful Dr Carolyn Standen and her loving generous staff who
understood how truly special River is. Whenever he goes in for a dental cleaning or has blood work done, they seem amazed to
remember he has FIV. He’s so full of life and energy it’s very easy to forget he’s ‘sick’. We know that they would never
recommend he be put down because of his illness as others have suggested. Luckily, they also provide top rate boarding, so
when we have to leave him, he and his sister get to stay together in a wonderful environment. Very few places will board River,
since many people seem to believe his FIV is airborne and can spread from cat to cat, which simply isn’t true.
While we do know that River’s immune system might not be as strong as another cat his age, we do watch him like a hawk. He
eats only the best food and has filtered water fountains with purifiers in them in every room in our house. Whenever he seems a
little listless, he gets a boast of over the counter vitamins from the pet store, or a plate of cat milk to make sure he gets his
nutrients. Most often he receives a tablespoon of The Missing Link feline formula mixed into his food or Pet-Tabs complete daily
vitamin tablet broken up. If anything ever looks off with him, we take him back to the vets to make sure he’s still doing fine. So far
though, we’ve never had any problems. Three years later, and River is still doing well and going strong. He’s the sweetest cat we’
ve ever known and even his own vet forgets he has FIV. At his next birthday, River will be around seven to eight years old, and we’
re planning on having many more years with him and Simone.
River sees his vet once every six months for a regular check up to monitor his weight, teeth, and other vitals. He currently weighs
around 12 to 13 pounds and we do our best to keep him in that weight range by monitoring his food. Two years ago River was
diagnosed with an unrelated urinary tract disease common in male cats that cause crystals to develop in his bladder and block
his system making it difficult for him to relieve himself. Since we watch him so closely, we brought him to the vets within 24 hours
of the symptoms appearing. River was put on a special diet to correspond both to this disease and for his FIV. Every night he
gets a cup of Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary SO 33 dry cat food and a pouch of Petco’s grain free Soulistic wet food
(his favorite is the autumn bounty with chicken and pumpkin), the wet food he usually splits with his sister. The veterinary diet
breaks up the crystals and the wet food provides him with plenty of fluids to keep his body well hydrated, which is important for
both of his conditions. It is also not uncommon for us to mix in a few tablespoons of organically grown cranberry and papaya
digestive supplement with his food or water to help keep his bladder clear.
Cats with FIV are also highly susceptible to gum and tooth decay as a result of their weakened immune systems, so River’s teeth
are thoroughly checked out at his six month checkups and undergo regular cleanings at the vets in the event of any decay
showing up. While living on the street he chipped his front right fang and will likely lose it one day to prevent bacteria getting into
his blood. For the months between his vet visits River receives a weekly application of OraVet plague prevention gel. A small
amount of the waxy substance is applied to the roof of his mouth and it works its way down onto his teeth to form a protective
barrier that lasts around seven days, three to seven times a week he also receives a small application of OraZn Maxiguard Oral
cleansing gel directly onto his gums above his teeth to fight bacteria. Both of these dental cleaning systems were prescribed by
his vet to help combat bacteria and decay in his teeth and to avoid daily cleanings which he was not fond of.
Before any major dental cleaning, as well as at his 6 month check up, we have blood work done on River to check the progress
of his FIV. While there is not anything in particular to watch for, FIV positive cats have been known to one day test negative and it
is also important to know how strong his immune system is every year. So far, River still tests positive, his sister still tests
negative, and his body is still holding up strong. There are many things he could one day develop that we must watch for, but as
of right now, River, like thousands of FIV positive cats, is in good health. For River, his FIV treatment consists merely of boasted
vitamins to his system and aggressive treatment of any minor illness and diseases which develop.
FIV consists of three basic stages in most cases. The first stage occurs 1 to 2 months after contracting the disease and is known
as the acute stage. A cat will show signs of depression and fever as their immune system is first attacked by the disease. This is
the warning sign to you to get your cat tested and to begin treatment. The second stage, or sub-clinical stage, occurs after 4
weeks of having the disease and can last an indeterminate amount of time. River himself is currently in this stage of the disease.
The cat returns to normal healthy activity and shows no signs of illness or FIV. In many cases it will appear as though the disease
has vanished completely. Some cats may never progress out of this stage into the third final stage of the disease. While a cat
with FIV is far less likely to develop AIDS like symptoms than an HIV infected human, there are several diseases that are
common to develop if the disease does progress in the final stages of a cats life, known as the Chronic Stage, including
stomatitis, odontoclasia, periodontitis, gingivitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonitis, enteritis, and dermatitis.
It is also highly important to keep an FIV positive cat’s flea medication current and up to date. Fleas and parasites are a major
transmitter of diseases and flea bites may become infected themselves. River and his sister are both on a monthly dosage of
Revolution provided by their vet. It is always best to get flea medication from the vet’s office and not from pet supply stores, even
if it is more expensive, it is the safer route to go for the cat. We do our best to keep River from hunting any bugs which might bite
or sting him to cut down on open wounds that could become infected, but in the case that he does get cut and have an exposed
sore, we clean it with over the counter pet antibiotic cleansers and bandage it. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, or
if the wound is too big or too deep, it is best to take the cat to the vets for this as well.
In the veterinary and animal rescue world there is no general consensus as to whether cats with FIV should be euthanized or not.
In my opinion, there is no need to euthanize cats in the first or second stages of the disease, as they are perfectly healthy, normal
cats by all possible standards. Once the final stage is reached it is up to the family to make the tough decision themselves. One
day, River may progress to this third stage, and although it is very scary to think about, in some ways, it makes it easier to
approach. River has FIV. If it ever develops into the third chronic stage, we will know that his quality of life is going to drop quickly
and harshly. We will be ready to help him when and if this final stage finally comes, and his FIV status will help us make the final
decision. FIV infects between 2 and 5% of the feline population, and I do know, there is no reason to put down 2 to 5% of cats
who are perfectly healthy just because one day they might become sick. All cats eventually become sick and it is likely that we
will outlive many of our beloved pets. The fact that they will one day leave us, is not a good enough reason to me to put them
down now or pass on adopting them. Prior to 1986, we weren’t even aware such a disease existed. It is likely many people had
FIV positive cats prior to 1986 and weren’t even aware of it. FIV occurs naturally in the wild, it’s common among African lions
and larger feline species. River is just another normal cat, who happens to have FIV. If I were to show you my two cats without any
background information, I imagine you’d have a hard time guessing which one of them was sick and which one of them was
healthy.
That afternoon at Happy Tails we signed the adoption papers and loaded River and Simone into the car to go to their new
forever home. Paris, France has stood for hundreds of years, it isn’t going anywhere. Mike and I are both young, we have a long
life ahead of us. River bonded with us that day, and he needs us right now. We wish more than anything we could take him
overseas, but that simply isn’t the case. A cat with FIV cannot cross international boundaries and a cat that has lived with a cat
with FIV has a quarantine period. River will live out his very long full rich life here in America with Simone and us. There’s no
question about that. River is more important than anything else. I wouldn’t trade him for anything in this world.
Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary, Sacramento
www.happytails.org/
Cat Clinic of Folsom
www.catclinicoffolsom.com/
FIV support groups
www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_2247554194&ap=1
FIV information
www.felineoutreach.org/Education/FIVFeLV.html
http://fivcats.com/
http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fiv_in_cats.htm
www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1316&aid=213
www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/cats_fiv.cfm
River's Gift Shop - Happy River Dances Homemade Catnip Toys
www.etsy.com/shop/HappyRiverDances
uninformed individuals. We traded vets twice before finding the wonderful Dr Carolyn Standen and her loving generous staff who
understood how truly special River is. Whenever he goes in for a dental cleaning or has blood work done, they seem amazed to
remember he has FIV. He’s so full of life and energy it’s very easy to forget he’s ‘sick’. We know that they would never
recommend he be put down because of his illness as others have suggested. Luckily, they also provide top rate boarding, so
when we have to leave him, he and his sister get to stay together in a wonderful environment. Very few places will board River,
since many people seem to believe his FIV is airborne and can spread from cat to cat, which simply isn’t true.
While we do know that River’s immune system might not be as strong as another cat his age, we do watch him like a hawk. He
eats only the best food and has filtered water fountains with purifiers in them in every room in our house. Whenever he seems a
little listless, he gets a boast of over the counter vitamins from the pet store, or a plate of cat milk to make sure he gets his
nutrients. Most often he receives a tablespoon of The Missing Link feline formula mixed into his food or Pet-Tabs complete daily
vitamin tablet broken up. If anything ever looks off with him, we take him back to the vets to make sure he’s still doing fine. So far
though, we’ve never had any problems. Three years later, and River is still doing well and going strong. He’s the sweetest cat we’
ve ever known and even his own vet forgets he has FIV. At his next birthday, River will be around seven to eight years old, and we’
re planning on having many more years with him and Simone.
River sees his vet once every six months for a regular check up to monitor his weight, teeth, and other vitals. He currently weighs
around 12 to 13 pounds and we do our best to keep him in that weight range by monitoring his food. Two years ago River was
diagnosed with an unrelated urinary tract disease common in male cats that cause crystals to develop in his bladder and block
his system making it difficult for him to relieve himself. Since we watch him so closely, we brought him to the vets within 24 hours
of the symptoms appearing. River was put on a special diet to correspond both to this disease and for his FIV. Every night he
gets a cup of Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Feline Urinary SO 33 dry cat food and a pouch of Petco’s grain free Soulistic wet food
(his favorite is the autumn bounty with chicken and pumpkin), the wet food he usually splits with his sister. The veterinary diet
breaks up the crystals and the wet food provides him with plenty of fluids to keep his body well hydrated, which is important for
both of his conditions. It is also not uncommon for us to mix in a few tablespoons of organically grown cranberry and papaya
digestive supplement with his food or water to help keep his bladder clear.
Cats with FIV are also highly susceptible to gum and tooth decay as a result of their weakened immune systems, so River’s teeth
are thoroughly checked out at his six month checkups and undergo regular cleanings at the vets in the event of any decay
showing up. While living on the street he chipped his front right fang and will likely lose it one day to prevent bacteria getting into
his blood. For the months between his vet visits River receives a weekly application of OraVet plague prevention gel. A small
amount of the waxy substance is applied to the roof of his mouth and it works its way down onto his teeth to form a protective
barrier that lasts around seven days, three to seven times a week he also receives a small application of OraZn Maxiguard Oral
cleansing gel directly onto his gums above his teeth to fight bacteria. Both of these dental cleaning systems were prescribed by
his vet to help combat bacteria and decay in his teeth and to avoid daily cleanings which he was not fond of.
Before any major dental cleaning, as well as at his 6 month check up, we have blood work done on River to check the progress
of his FIV. While there is not anything in particular to watch for, FIV positive cats have been known to one day test negative and it
is also important to know how strong his immune system is every year. So far, River still tests positive, his sister still tests
negative, and his body is still holding up strong. There are many things he could one day develop that we must watch for, but as
of right now, River, like thousands of FIV positive cats, is in good health. For River, his FIV treatment consists merely of boasted
vitamins to his system and aggressive treatment of any minor illness and diseases which develop.
FIV consists of three basic stages in most cases. The first stage occurs 1 to 2 months after contracting the disease and is known
as the acute stage. A cat will show signs of depression and fever as their immune system is first attacked by the disease. This is
the warning sign to you to get your cat tested and to begin treatment. The second stage, or sub-clinical stage, occurs after 4
weeks of having the disease and can last an indeterminate amount of time. River himself is currently in this stage of the disease.
The cat returns to normal healthy activity and shows no signs of illness or FIV. In many cases it will appear as though the disease
has vanished completely. Some cats may never progress out of this stage into the third final stage of the disease. While a cat
with FIV is far less likely to develop AIDS like symptoms than an HIV infected human, there are several diseases that are
common to develop if the disease does progress in the final stages of a cats life, known as the Chronic Stage, including
stomatitis, odontoclasia, periodontitis, gingivitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, pneumonitis, enteritis, and dermatitis.
It is also highly important to keep an FIV positive cat’s flea medication current and up to date. Fleas and parasites are a major
transmitter of diseases and flea bites may become infected themselves. River and his sister are both on a monthly dosage of
Revolution provided by their vet. It is always best to get flea medication from the vet’s office and not from pet supply stores, even
if it is more expensive, it is the safer route to go for the cat. We do our best to keep River from hunting any bugs which might bite
or sting him to cut down on open wounds that could become infected, but in the case that he does get cut and have an exposed
sore, we clean it with over the counter pet antibiotic cleansers and bandage it. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, or
if the wound is too big or too deep, it is best to take the cat to the vets for this as well.
In the veterinary and animal rescue world there is no general consensus as to whether cats with FIV should be euthanized or not.
In my opinion, there is no need to euthanize cats in the first or second stages of the disease, as they are perfectly healthy, normal
cats by all possible standards. Once the final stage is reached it is up to the family to make the tough decision themselves. One
day, River may progress to this third stage, and although it is very scary to think about, in some ways, it makes it easier to
approach. River has FIV. If it ever develops into the third chronic stage, we will know that his quality of life is going to drop quickly
and harshly. We will be ready to help him when and if this final stage finally comes, and his FIV status will help us make the final
decision. FIV infects between 2 and 5% of the feline population, and I do know, there is no reason to put down 2 to 5% of cats
who are perfectly healthy just because one day they might become sick. All cats eventually become sick and it is likely that we
will outlive many of our beloved pets. The fact that they will one day leave us, is not a good enough reason to me to put them
down now or pass on adopting them. Prior to 1986, we weren’t even aware such a disease existed. It is likely many people had
FIV positive cats prior to 1986 and weren’t even aware of it. FIV occurs naturally in the wild, it’s common among African lions
and larger feline species. River is just another normal cat, who happens to have FIV. If I were to show you my two cats without any
background information, I imagine you’d have a hard time guessing which one of them was sick and which one of them was
healthy.
That afternoon at Happy Tails we signed the adoption papers and loaded River and Simone into the car to go to their new
forever home. Paris, France has stood for hundreds of years, it isn’t going anywhere. Mike and I are both young, we have a long
life ahead of us. River bonded with us that day, and he needs us right now. We wish more than anything we could take him
overseas, but that simply isn’t the case. A cat with FIV cannot cross international boundaries and a cat that has lived with a cat
with FIV has a quarantine period. River will live out his very long full rich life here in America with Simone and us. There’s no
question about that. River is more important than anything else. I wouldn’t trade him for anything in this world.
Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary, Sacramento
www.happytails.org/
Cat Clinic of Folsom
www.catclinicoffolsom.com/
FIV support groups
www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_2247554194&ap=1
FIV information
www.felineoutreach.org/Education/FIVFeLV.html
http://fivcats.com/
http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fiv_in_cats.htm
www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+1316&aid=213
www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/cats_fiv.cfm
River's Gift Shop - Happy River Dances Homemade Catnip Toys
www.etsy.com/shop/HappyRiverDances
I sadly picked him up and set him on the ground. He looked up at me as if he couldn’t understand why I would pass over him. I
couldn’t explain it myself. I had to keep looking for the perfect cat. I found her in the form of a female Siamese with the most
brilliant blue eyes anyone had ever seen and a very sad history of being over bred and abandoned. She was dangerously
underweight, when you picked her up it felt like there was nothing to her. She followed me around crying and watching me until I
couldn’t resist anymore and decided to take her home with me. Mike on the other hand, wasn’t fairing so well. None of the cats
wanted anything to do with him and you could tell he was taking it very badly. Dejected, he sank down into a chair and watched all
the cats run around him, avoiding him. That is, until that sweet like tuxie walked over to him and stared up at him with his big
bright eyes. Very gently, he jumped up and landed in Mike’s lap and fell asleep. How could we pass on him now?
Cradling Simone like a baby we sat down to talk with the shelter workers about River. He’d been found in a feral cat colony in
Sacramento, although he clearly wasn’t feral himself. He was far too gentle. He had tested positive for FIV when they brought him
in, but Happy Tails was a no kill group and wouldn’t put down a cat just for testing positive. The shelter volunteers must have
sensed what kind of people we were though, because they started in on the sale of River. There was another couple visiting at
the shelter to play with the cats who had owned an FIV positive cat, and they joined in. By the end of the day, we were sold.
FIV, or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, is not an automatic death sentence for a cat. While it is similar to HIV in humans, the
correlation isn’t completely correct. These days with better medical care and drug therapies, HIV positive people can live many
years without developing AIDS. Because of their intensely compromised immune systems, they can still die from conditions
directly related to HIV, but without ever fully developing AIDS. They will however always be fighting off infections, illnesses and
other serious conditions because of the HIV. A cat that contracts FIV does not face down the same odds. FIV can be dormant in
a cat their entire life. An animal infected with it may never display any signs of the virus and there is no guarantee that it will
develop into any more advanced disease that is a death sentence. While FIV can attack a cat’s immune system and can lead to
many secondary infections, there is no guarantee of that fact. River might live his entire life and never display any signs of being
sick.
What about Simone? Was there any way we could have them both and not risk her getting the disease from River? Would they
have to be quarantined from one another for their whole lives? Lucky for us, the answer to that was no. There is a vaccine out
there for FIV, however, it only protects against two of the five strains of FIV which can affect a cat. The chance of Simone being
vaccinated and not being protected by the Strain River had, was fairly decent. The vaccine itself is also still fairly controversial as
an additional vaccine to pump into the body of a cat for so little protection. There are also some indications and rumors that a cat
who has been vaccinated against FIV may return a false positive when tested in the future for the disease and therefore stands a
higher chance of being put down if found by animal control.
However, it turns out, it didn’t matter. Similar to human contraction of HIV, FIV does not spread easily. The disease is not
airborne and cannot be spread through sharing a food bowl, litter box, or drinking fountain. Even in blood or saliva, the disease
dies after having been exposed to the air in a matter of seconds. In order for FIV to spread it must be through a fluid transfusion.
Sexual contact between cats or a deep bite wound that penetrates the flesh is the most common ways. Since River and Simone
were both fixed and since River was a baby of a kitty, there wasn’t much chance of this becoming a problem. The other couple at
the shelter assured us that their FIV positive cat had lived in close contact with their other cat for years. When she had finally
crossed over the bridge, they had done some blood work on her, just to be sure; she had been FIV negative till the day she died.
We have since learned for ourselves how difficult it truly is for FIV to spread from one cat to another. River and Simone became
a bonded pair almost immediately, he’s just too gentle of a soul to not fall in love with everyone around him and stay by their side.
After three months with us, Simone suffered a massive blow. Her teeth had rotted out without anyone noticing and they shattered
in her head, tearing up her gums and causing massive infection. After a panicked night at the emergency vet she spent the next
few days on antibiotics and painkillers before her surgery. The entire time River spent wrapped around her grooming her and
purring for comfort. We were so worried that with all her open wounds and blood that she would catch her brother’s FIV. After the
surgery, when her blood work came back, she was still FIV negative. To this day, she is FIV negative, and she and River are
never far apart. They sleep together, they play together, they wrestle, they eat, they groom one another, they even have their
disagreements, just like any children, and Simone is still FIV negative.
couldn’t explain it myself. I had to keep looking for the perfect cat. I found her in the form of a female Siamese with the most
brilliant blue eyes anyone had ever seen and a very sad history of being over bred and abandoned. She was dangerously
underweight, when you picked her up it felt like there was nothing to her. She followed me around crying and watching me until I
couldn’t resist anymore and decided to take her home with me. Mike on the other hand, wasn’t fairing so well. None of the cats
wanted anything to do with him and you could tell he was taking it very badly. Dejected, he sank down into a chair and watched all
the cats run around him, avoiding him. That is, until that sweet like tuxie walked over to him and stared up at him with his big
bright eyes. Very gently, he jumped up and landed in Mike’s lap and fell asleep. How could we pass on him now?
Cradling Simone like a baby we sat down to talk with the shelter workers about River. He’d been found in a feral cat colony in
Sacramento, although he clearly wasn’t feral himself. He was far too gentle. He had tested positive for FIV when they brought him
in, but Happy Tails was a no kill group and wouldn’t put down a cat just for testing positive. The shelter volunteers must have
sensed what kind of people we were though, because they started in on the sale of River. There was another couple visiting at
the shelter to play with the cats who had owned an FIV positive cat, and they joined in. By the end of the day, we were sold.
FIV, or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, is not an automatic death sentence for a cat. While it is similar to HIV in humans, the
correlation isn’t completely correct. These days with better medical care and drug therapies, HIV positive people can live many
years without developing AIDS. Because of their intensely compromised immune systems, they can still die from conditions
directly related to HIV, but without ever fully developing AIDS. They will however always be fighting off infections, illnesses and
other serious conditions because of the HIV. A cat that contracts FIV does not face down the same odds. FIV can be dormant in
a cat their entire life. An animal infected with it may never display any signs of the virus and there is no guarantee that it will
develop into any more advanced disease that is a death sentence. While FIV can attack a cat’s immune system and can lead to
many secondary infections, there is no guarantee of that fact. River might live his entire life and never display any signs of being
sick.
What about Simone? Was there any way we could have them both and not risk her getting the disease from River? Would they
have to be quarantined from one another for their whole lives? Lucky for us, the answer to that was no. There is a vaccine out
there for FIV, however, it only protects against two of the five strains of FIV which can affect a cat. The chance of Simone being
vaccinated and not being protected by the Strain River had, was fairly decent. The vaccine itself is also still fairly controversial as
an additional vaccine to pump into the body of a cat for so little protection. There are also some indications and rumors that a cat
who has been vaccinated against FIV may return a false positive when tested in the future for the disease and therefore stands a
higher chance of being put down if found by animal control.
However, it turns out, it didn’t matter. Similar to human contraction of HIV, FIV does not spread easily. The disease is not
airborne and cannot be spread through sharing a food bowl, litter box, or drinking fountain. Even in blood or saliva, the disease
dies after having been exposed to the air in a matter of seconds. In order for FIV to spread it must be through a fluid transfusion.
Sexual contact between cats or a deep bite wound that penetrates the flesh is the most common ways. Since River and Simone
were both fixed and since River was a baby of a kitty, there wasn’t much chance of this becoming a problem. The other couple at
the shelter assured us that their FIV positive cat had lived in close contact with their other cat for years. When she had finally
crossed over the bridge, they had done some blood work on her, just to be sure; she had been FIV negative till the day she died.
We have since learned for ourselves how difficult it truly is for FIV to spread from one cat to another. River and Simone became
a bonded pair almost immediately, he’s just too gentle of a soul to not fall in love with everyone around him and stay by their side.
After three months with us, Simone suffered a massive blow. Her teeth had rotted out without anyone noticing and they shattered
in her head, tearing up her gums and causing massive infection. After a panicked night at the emergency vet she spent the next
few days on antibiotics and painkillers before her surgery. The entire time River spent wrapped around her grooming her and
purring for comfort. We were so worried that with all her open wounds and blood that she would catch her brother’s FIV. After the
surgery, when her blood work came back, she was still FIV negative. To this day, she is FIV negative, and she and River are
never far apart. They sleep together, they play together, they wrestle, they eat, they groom one another, they even have their
disagreements, just like any children, and Simone is still FIV negative.
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| Parents Speak River Cat and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) By Felicity Goodrich June 13, 2011 |
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