RE: New To This

[Chris]

There are many people more knowledgeable on this list than me but I can tell you my experience…  First, it is possible for a kitten to test neg & then show pos much later even with no exposure to infected cat.  I know because this happened to me.  My Tucson tested neg as a young kitten & pos six years later after being an indoor only cat.  Apparently, the virus can sort of hide for a while & test won’t pick it up.  Since both your pos are under a year it might be tough to tell who had it first….   Second, as far as testing I would make sure that pos cat had the Elissa, which is the one the vet does right in the office & the IFA which is blood sent to lab.  IFA is the more conclusive & I would not rely on Elissa only.   As for mixing, well, I guess everyone has their own experiences.  I have other cats who were around my pos for years before I found out she was pos. I knew I would not euthanize her, I knew I could not give her away so I had the other cats vaccinated & have them all mixed.  It is impossible to prevent them from eating each other’s food, grooming each other, etc. Also, adult cats are much less likely to come down with it.   I figured that all of them had been exposed to her for years & had not come down with it & with  the vaccine would giving them some extra protection, the most humane thing for everybody was to just leave them as they had been all this time.  So far everything is OK.  I also took in a stray I had been feeding & though he was supposed to be adopted, he was pos & the people didn’t want him.  My only problem is that my female pos absolutely hates him…  When Tucson tested pos, I changed vet because my old vet, good as he was, was some distance from me & told me he had had very limited experience with FELV.  I found a vet much closer to me who happens to be the vet for someone locally who does FELV rescue & so far so good.   I was floored when my Tucson & Big Boy (the former stray) showed pos as neither had ever been sick….  It took me a while to catch my breath but bottom line is that all 5 of mine are strays or dumped cats & they are all enjoying the good life right now.  Had they not found me, I know that all of them would have died by now….  To separate them or to give away some of them would have really affected them badly (not to mention me!)   I don’t know anything about retrovir.  Many people on this list use interferon.  I do not at this point.  My Tucson had a couple of episodes of low white blood count & my vet game her a series of immuno-regulin shots.  It seemed to do the trick for a while.  However, I think it’s a little tougher with very young cats & other people here will give you plenty of suggestions about that.  You said the year old cat is sick at this point.  What sort of symptoms is he showing?   As far as the shelter, well most vets use the Elissa & that can show neg in a very young kitten when virus has not ‘blossomed’ yet…  Its hard for them to hold on to kittens for too long as then nobody wants to adopt them!  In fact, one set of recommendations I found suggested retesting all kittens at a year old-well, by then, it’s a little too late….   I know you will find the people on this list very helpful-we’ve all been there!   Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mrs. Kulak Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 12:55 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: New To This   I have just found out that my two kittens are positive for feline leukemia. I adopted a kitten from an animal shelter in Wisconsin that originally tested negative. But since then he has become positive and has infected one of my older cats, who in the meantime has become quite sick. It is devastating to me. BUT, I am trying to remain optimistic. Therefore, I am trying to find out all I can.   First of all, I have three other cats, all of which tested negative. I have to keep them separated now from my two "sick" ones. Even though the little kitten I adopted in November has the virus, he acts totally normal. The older kitten which is actually a year old now, is sick. I've been giving the older one 3cc of Retrovir in the morning and in the evening. I don't know what the side effects are to cats. I only received the side effects for humans when I picked up the medicine at the pharmacy. Is there any place you can recommend to me to find out more about the side effects to cats? The side effects to humans don't look so good, so I'm a bit worried about this medicine.   Second, as I have stated, I have to keep my cats all separated. This is EXTREMELY hard. We were one big happy family. All of my cats got along, cuddled, took care of the little ones, played together, cleaned each other, and now I've had to tear up the family. The older ones in the basement are wondering what's going on. I go down there to sit with them and they just stare at me. It's kind of creepy. But they do thrive on the attention once we get past the awkward moment. The kittens I keep upstairs so that I can monitor them. The littlest one is constantly crying at the door that separates them all. I've even caught the older one clawing at the door today. It's really hard. Therefore, I was wondering, if after the incubation period is over and the other older cats get retested and if they still prove to be negative, then get their shots, could I put the family back together again? Or is it better for me to find a new home for the ill cats? I will die if I have to lose them. They are my babies. This will be the third and fourth kittens I have lost in three years. But I need to do what's best. I'd rather take care of the ill kittens myself than have the cost burden and the stress go to someone else. I know I have a home for the three older cats providing they stay negative. I just really want to try to keep the family together. So, how effective are the shots?   Third and final, the animal shelter that I received the kitten from is trying to deny that it was their kitten. In a sense, they told me that my vet tested incorrectly. Now I know that the shelter is trying to do a good thing, but I feel they have a responsibility to tell the other people who have adopted kittens or cats from the same group and time period. They aren't listening to me. I've researched about the incubation period and that maybe they should have held onto all the cats and kittens for a few more weeks because it could sit dormant. They kept insisting that the kitten tested negative; and I told them I know that, but..." We got no where. Now what do I do? All my other cats have been tested twice a year for everything. (I take them to the vet for even the slightest sniffle - I'm a little protective). I need to know what do I do to get them to contact the other people. I'm concerned that there are more Feline Leukemia cats out there, more than that, I am sure of it and I think those people have a right to know. So, what do I do? I was thinking about taking out a full page ad in the Milwaukee Journal or contacting the Better Business Bureau. I need to do something.   Sorry I took so much time, but I have many issues and/or concerns. I don't know what to do. I've been reading a lot on the internet, but I can't find the answer to these few things. I appreciate any help/advice you could give me. Thank you.   Kristina