Yes! That was what I wanted to say!
You go girl!
tonya
TenHouseCats <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
TenHouseCats <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
argggggh.
there is essentially no such thing as an FIV positive kittens.
maternal transmission is incredibly rare, and is still not even
considered a normal mode of infection. kittens with an infected mom
will test positive until mom's antibodies are out of her
system--between 6-10 months.
no sanctuary or rescue that specializes in FIV cats will take a cat
without a positive western blot test, as the snap test is only about
60% accurate. a western blot given before a kitten is old enough for
mom's immunities to have worn off WILL test positive, but it won't
mean anything.
i would NEVER vaccinate a cat against FIV--if the cat ever gets out
and into the shelter system, he will test positve (not maybe,
DEFINITELY), and unless he's microchipped and someone actually checks
his record to see he's been vaccinated, his chances of living long
enough to be found by you is slim to none.
almost all FIV is spread via DEEP, PENETRATING WOUNDS--the sort that
boy cats inflict while fighting over girls. that's why a high
percentage of FIV cats are boys, with those girls who have it probably
getting it during rough sex.
once neutered, almost all male cats lose any desire to be that
aggressive. in cases where a tom DOES remain aggressive, filing down
or even removing the canine teeth makes it impossible for him to bite
deeply enough to pass on the virus. most FIV cats, once neutered, seem
to turn into very healthy, very large, very lazy, very cuddly couch
potatoes.
at the sanctuary where i worked, many FIV cats ended up becoming
forever cats of the volunteers, because they were just such
sweethearts.
i have two FIVs in my household right now, a timid flamepoint himmie
who must have gotten out and been attacked cuz there's NO way he would
have initiated an argument on his own, and an adolescent coonie. FIV
cats tend to be very healthy--they have a higher incidence of herpes
infections (easily kept in check with the addition of lysine), and a
tendency toward other mouth problems. they get sick just like normal
cats, and they get better when treated in a timely manner, just like
normal cats!
as one of my vets puts it, FIV cats die WITH the virus, not from it.
it is TOTALLY different from FeLV in how it's spread, and how it
manifests itself. (well, after 18 years, the sanctuary director thinks
that being fat and lazy and cuddly are the only consistent symptoms of
FIV.)
here are two of the better articles on FIV:
http://www.afa.arlington.ma.us/FIV.html
http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/cats_fiv.cfm
MC
--
MaryChristine
AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats
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