I think that they are immune for life if they get and extinguish the virus. I do not believe that it is a mutating virus of any sort, at least not so far. The problem is you have no way of knowing for sure that you cat did this unless it was positive and is now negative. Cats develop some natural immunity with age, it is possible to live together for years and not contract it even with repeated exposures. If you are concerned about vaccine related sarcomas there are FeLv vaccines that are given by the "vet jet" that is considered much safer, that is what we were using at the last vet hospital I worked at.
Good luck, Tanya --- On Tue, 3/29/11, Maureen Olvey <molvey...@hotmail.com> wrote: > From: Maureen Olvey <molvey...@hotmail.com> > Subject: [Felvtalk] Question about the virus itself > To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 12:30 PM > > I've got a question about the FeLV virus itself. Is > it all the same virus or does it mutate and change like the > herpes virus that causes URI? What I'm wondering is > that if I've got a cat that has been exposed to the virus > but extinguished it, is he immune for life? Seems like > I read that. So if I brought in another FeLV + kitty > and my resident cat has already gotten some immunity from > the virus he had been exposed to in the past, does that mean > being exposed to the virus through another cat would be the > same as the virus that he was first exposed to so his > immunity would work against that virus? Does that make > sense? I'm wondering if I brought in another FeLV + > cat would I need to vaccinate my cat that has already been > exposed and extinguished the virus. > > Anyone have a clue? I guess the main question is if > the virus mutates from cat to cat or is it always the same > virus and doesn't change. > > “I am not interested to know whether vivisection produces > results that are profitable to the human race or > doesn’t….the pain which it inflicts upon unconsenting > animals is the basis of my enmity toward it, and it is to me > sufficient justification of the enmity without looking > further.” – Mark Twain > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Felvtalk mailing list > Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org > _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
