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Seeking experience with FIV+/FIV- multiple cat households



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 7th 05, 10:53 PM
Katy Grace
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Default Seeking experience with FIV+/FIV- multiple cat households

We adopted Edmund 3 weeks ago. On Friday, I took him in for his
check-up and he was diagnosed as FIV+. We already have 2 cats living in
the house who are FIV-. The vet kindly offered to help me find him
another home. Did NOT suggest that FIV+/FIV- could live together.

Here are the facts:
- He will be getting the Western Blot test tomorrow
- All three cats were introduced slowly. The 2 "old" cats hissed a few
times but Edmund just meowed back.
- All three cats are not aggressive. Edmund hides under the bed when
startled.
- Edmund and the other male cat are neutered. Female cat is spayed.
- All cats are healthy.


I have read as much as I can get my hands on (including a lot of great
posts to this group) so I'm aware of transmission (saliva, primarily
deep bites) and the low probability of transmitting FIV through casual
contact.

I'm looking for more information, though, so I can make a completely
informed decision!

1) How long does the virus survive outside the cat? (Online resources
are conflicting -- anywhere from minutes to 3 hours)

2) Looks as though skin problems can occur with FIV+ cats. Are the skin
problems generally open-wound? If so, wouldn't that significantly
increase FIV transmission?

3) Articles say that transferring FIV amongst indoor cats with a stable
structure is rare. How rare? Has anyone had experience with and FIV
transfer amongst their own cats? How did it occur?

4) For anyone who has FIV+/FIV- cats in one household, what precautions
do you take?

Thank you in advance for any help. This is a great, great cat and this
decision is really testing my companion-for-life values. (once my pet -
always my pet)

  #2  
Old August 8th 05, 01:24 AM
Smokie Darling (Annie)
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Katy Grace wrote:
We adopted Edmund 3 weeks ago. On Friday, I took him in for his
check-up and he was diagnosed as FIV+. We already have 2 cats living in
the house who are FIV-. The vet kindly offered to help me find him
another home. Did NOT suggest that FIV+/FIV- could live together.

Here are the facts:
- He will be getting the Western Blot test tomorrow
- All three cats were introduced slowly. The 2 "old" cats hissed a few
times but Edmund just meowed back.
- All three cats are not aggressive. Edmund hides under the bed when
startled.
- Edmund and the other male cat are neutered. Female cat is spayed.
- All cats are healthy.


I have read as much as I can get my hands on (including a lot of great
posts to this group) so I'm aware of transmission (saliva, primarily
deep bites) and the low probability of transmitting FIV through casual
contact.

I'm looking for more information, though, so I can make a completely
informed decision!

1) How long does the virus survive outside the cat? (Online resources
are conflicting -- anywhere from minutes to 3 hours)


I do not know this, but if you can't find information, I can ask my
diagnosing vet tomorrow.


2) Looks as though skin problems can occur with FIV+ cats. Are the skin
problems generally open-wound? If so, wouldn't that significantly
increase FIV transmission?


Tuppence has never had a skin problem, she does however have gingivitis
something fierce. She gets a teeth cleaning yearly, and monthly
antibiotic burst for one week.



3) Articles say that transferring FIV amongst indoor cats with a stable
structure is rare. How rare? Has anyone had experience with and FIV
transfer amongst their own cats? How did it occur?


I've got a bunch of cats, only one is currently FIV+. She has never
spread it to any other cats, and now she's old and doesn't move around
much, so isn't likely to bite anyone (kittens or other cats). She's
16.5 now, and was diagnosed around 94 or 95.

Not sure how she got it, though she'd been tested for it every year (as
my cats are because of her now). She came up positive after I'd had a
male (that had been my brother's) come into the household. I do not
know how she got it since they never fought, but I have heard she may
have had it all along, without it ever coming up in her tests.


4) For anyone who has FIV+/FIV- cats in one household, what precautions
do you take?


When she was more mobile, I would watch to see how she responded to new
cats. As there hasn't been any problems introducing her to "newbies",
it has not been transferred.


Thank you in advance for any help. This is a great, great cat and this
decision is really testing my companion-for-life values. (once my pet -
always my pet)


Smokie Darling (Annie) - who could not have given up Tuppence for
anything, though she is getting to the end of her road.

  #3  
Old August 8th 05, 08:22 AM
Phil P.
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"Katy Grace" wrote in message
oups.com...
We adopted Edmund 3 weeks ago. On Friday, I took him in for his
check-up and he was diagnosed as FIV+.



How old is Edmund? If he's less than 7-8 months he may be testing
false-positive due to maternally derived antibodies which can take as long
as 8 months disappear.



We already have 2 cats living in
the house who are FIV-. The vet kindly offered to help me find him
another home. Did NOT suggest that FIV+/FIV- could live together.

Here are the facts:
- He will be getting the Western Blot test tomorrow




The ELISA and Western Blot (immunoblot) *both* test for antibodies- the
ELISA is more sensitive and the Western blot is more specific- but *neither*
test can distinguish maternally derived antibodies from antibodies that are
produced in response to FIV infection. If your cat is less than 8 months
old- you might want to hold off on the confirmatory Western Blot until he's
at least 8 months old.





- All three cats were introduced slowly. The 2 "old" cats hissed a few
times but Edmund just meowed back.
- All three cats are not aggressive.



That dramatically reduces the risk. There's still a risk- but its *very*,
very low.



Edmund hides under the bed when
startled.
- Edmund and the other male cat are neutered. Female cat is spayed.
- All cats are healthy.


I have read as much as I can get my hands on (including a lot of great
posts to this group) so I'm aware of transmission (saliva, primarily
deep bites) and the low probability of transmitting FIV through casual
contact.


True.


I'm looking for more information, though, so I can make a completely
informed decision!

1) How long does the virus survive outside the cat? (Online resources
are conflicting -- anywhere from minutes to 3 hours)



2-5 hours depending on environmental temperature- closer to 4-5 hours
indoors. But transmission from the environment is practically, if not
absolutely impossible. I seriously doubt enough viable virus could be
deposited in or acquired from the environment.


2) Looks as though skin problems can occur with FIV+ cats. Are the skin
problems generally open-wound? If so, wouldn't that significantly
increase FIV transmission?



Skin diseases only occur in about 10-15% of FIV+ cats and usually only in
the advanced to end stages of the disease- which would probably be many
years from now.




3) Articles say that transferring FIV amongst indoor cats with a stable
structure is rare. How rare?



It depends on the social structure that exists between your cats. If your
cats don't fight and bite, *very* rare- if not practically impossible.



Has anyone had experience with and FIV
transfer amongst their own cats? How did it occur?



Only through bite wounds.


4) For anyone who has FIV+/FIV- cats in one household, what precautions
do you take?


Keep the cats indoors and away from free-roaming cats and cats with
unknown histories. Feed the cats a healthy diet to keep their immune
systems as strong as possible and pay special attention to hygiene. Keep a
close watch for any changes in personalities and social structure that could
be a precursor to a fight.



Thank you in advance for any help. This is a great, great cat and this
decision is really testing my companion-for-life values. (once my pet -
always my pet)



If your cats are all neutered and not aggressive and get along- except for
an occasional hiss, I think your companion-for-life values will remain
intact.

Phil





  #4  
Old August 8th 05, 05:05 PM
Katy Grace
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Sorry - I neglected to give Edmund's age. He's 4yo and was indeed
rescued from the streets at 2yo. He actually lost his leg in a cat
fight (I didn't know this. I thought he had been hit by a car.) They
tested him for FIV when he first arrived at the shelter but apparently
he had not developed antibodies yet so the test was negative.

2-5 hours depending on environmental temperature- closer to 4-5 hours
indoors. But transmission from the environment is practically, if not
absolutely impossible. I seriously doubt enough viable virus could be
deposited in or acquired from the environment.


So sharing cat toys is probably okay?

  #5  
Old August 8th 05, 05:06 PM
Katy Grace
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Thank you for sharing your experience. This is very helpful. (Tuppence
is a fabulous name for a cat!)

  #6  
Old August 8th 05, 07:18 PM
Smokie Darling (Annie)
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Katy Grace wrote:
Thank you for sharing your experience. This is very helpful. (Tuppence
is a fabulous name for a cat!)



Thanks, but she pretty much named herself. I had gotten her and was at
home watching Mary Poppins (yeah, I'm a bit old for that but it was one
of my very favorite Disney movies). When the part with the old lady on
the bank steps singing about feeding the birds came on... Well every
time she sang "...tuppence a bag", this tiny kitten would look at the
TV. I just figured she meant Tuppence, but it could just have easily
been for Abag (hee).

Smokie Darling (Annie)

  #7  
Old August 9th 05, 05:10 AM
Smokie Darling (Annie)
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Diane wrote:
In article .com,
"Smokie Darling (Annie)" wrote:

I had gotten her and was at
home watching Mary Poppins (yeah, I'm a bit old for that but it was one
of my very favorite Disney movies). When the part with the old lady on
the bank steps singing about feeding the birds came on... Well every
time she sang "...tuppence a bag", this tiny kitten would look at the
TV. I just figured she meant Tuppence, but it could just have easily
been for Abag (hee).


It might have been for that particular note or series of notes. A
musical cat! Pudge used to like my very, very off-key singing. Wonder
how Hodge would handle it . . .
--
Web site: http://www.slywy.com/
Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/
Journal: http://slywy.diaryland.com/


Well, she does have good taste in music. She loves Led Zepplin, Def
Leppard, the Scorpions (on the hard side). She loves Dusty
Springfield, Lorrie Morgan, the Carpenters (on the soft side).

She has the kindness to listen to me without laying her ears back (Yoda
ears). However, I do remember singing it to her (when she was little
and I used to sing alot), and she never paid attention (I used to sing
quite well), but she answered to Tuppence from that showing, and never
paid attention to Mary Poppins again.

Smokie Darling (Annie) - who now has that song (Tuppence,tuppence, I'm
calling to you.... Feed the birds...) running through her head.

  #8  
Old August 9th 05, 05:57 AM
Katy Grace
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Edmund had his Western Blot today. We'll know in a few days (as best as
possible) if he's FIV+. I spoke with a different veterinarian and she
seemed to have more experience with FIV+ cats. She echoed the sentiment
that only cats who are fighting are going to transfer this disease. She
actually seemed very unconcerned about the current cats (after learning
about their personalities and meeting Edmund) so that was needless to
say, reassuring.

  #9  
Old August 10th 05, 01:55 AM
Cheryl
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On Tue 09 Aug 2005 12:57:47a, Katy Grace wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
oups.com):

Edmund had his Western Blot today. We'll know in a few days (as
best as possible) if he's FIV+. I spoke with a different
veterinarian and she seemed to have more experience with FIV+
cats. She echoed the sentiment that only cats who are fighting
are going to transfer this disease. She actually seemed very
unconcerned about the current cats (after learning about their
personalities and meeting Edmund) so that was needless to say,
reassuring.



Best wishes and sending reassuring thoughts your way no matter the
outcome. Please let us know.

--
Cheryl

"The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited
breath."
- W.C. Fields
 




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