You know, when I had to figure out what to
do, I looked at my little guys and thought that as much as they fuss &
fight at each other, they do also all depend on each other for companionship,
play, comfort…. To break up the little group on the slim
chance that one of the negs might get this was not worth the pain they would
have suffered had I sent some away. I don’t have kittens so I can
understand your fear about losing the little ones… Try asking
yourself where would they be if you had not taken them…. Either
they would have died outside someplace or been euthanized in a shelter (as most
pos kittens are), Whatever time they have with you, & I hope it is
many years, is gift that you and everyone who cares for these high risk kittens
should feel very proud of….
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Kris Kulak
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 4:53
PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: New To List
Wow Sally, You are extremely informative and easier to
comprehend than some sites I've been too. I greatly appreciate your response.
I've had the older kitten tested IFA because he was so sick at the time, I
wanted a complete check-up, never thinking this would happen since all of my
cats are indoor creatures. The other 4 had the ELISA because I wanted an idea
right away. I was so devastated at the time, I wanted to know ASAP.
I do have the 3 older ones isolated to the basement
and the two little guys upstairs with me where we can keep a better eye on
them. I hope this is only temporary because it is extremely hard on the cats
and the rest of the family. We have to sneak in and out of the door which is
not easy with 5 cats trying to sneak with you. They meow or howl or scratch
back and forth at the door constantly.
The littlest guy (Luna) is about 4 months old. He acts
totally and completely normal so far. Thor, the older kitten who got his name
because he was extremely loud and thundrous, was the one that got sick, but
tested negative twice before. It wasn't until shortly after we got the kitten
that he got sick. Sylvester, the oldest and the leader of the pack, got sick
too. At first I though it was a cold, and with Sylvester it was. But Thor
couldn't shake it. After three weeks more with medication not working, I took
him back in. That's when his blood work came back positive. Thor was really
lethargic, not eating much, sweaty, isolated, etc. Since then, I've put him on
this Retrovir. I don't like the side effects that could happen, but he seems to
be getting better. Just this morning he was sounding like thunder again chasing
the little guy around the house. I just got home from work (the first day back
since I found out he was sick; I was never so scared to come home in my life; I
didn't know what to expect) and right away, he wanted to play. He meowed at me
a few times. Then he threw up a nice, big, juicy fur ball right at my feet.
After that, he started chasing a piece of material I was dragging on the floor.
He does eat a little more now. At 2 AM he woke me up
hungry. I had to feed him. I sat on the floor, put soft food on my finger and
rubbed in his mouth. He ate about a quarter of a can that way. He still has episodes
where he stares at his food, but I rub a little on his teeth and he will eat
out of my hand. Sometimes, he's even eating on his own. The nice thing though,
is that he's is becoming more active and seems
to be putting on more weight again. But, as I said before, I
too scared to get my hopes up. I'm just hanging in there along with him.
I know it's not recommended, and my husband isn't even
sure, but I would like to reunite my family after the incubation period is over
and the cats have all been retested. I can't dream of putting the burden of
raising possibly terminally ill cats onto someone else. I'd rather have the
hea;thy cats go somewhere. The only problem, I am sooooo emotional. My husband
worries it will "kill" me. I keep telling him that it will be hard,
but for the kitties' sake, I've got to keep them where they're used to and
comfortable. The least amount of stress is recommended, right?
I so love this group. It is helping me a lot. And I'm
learning a lot. Hopefully soon, I'll be able to relax a little and stop
feeling like dread is looming behind me. Thanks again.
Kristina
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
Dear
Sally:
Did the cats test positive on both an ELISA and an IFA test? If they were
just tested with the ELISA (the in-house snap test), this test is much more
sensitive to the antigen produced by the replicating virus so it can be an
indication of an infection which may only be transitory and there is a chance
the
virus can be cleared. While this is more likely with an adult cat than a
kitten,
it is not impossible for a kitten who tests positive early on to later test
negative. I have one who was positive at 6 weeks but retested negative a 6 mos.
when he was neutered.
If an IFA test was not done, I would strongly urge you to do so as this can
give you an indication of what stage of infection the cats may be in and a
better idea as to their chance for long-term survival. According to Dr. Richard
Pitcairn, there are six stages of FeLV infection. The ELISA is 100 times more
sensitive so a positive result on this test can indicate the earlier stages of
infection as well as the latter ones. A positive IFA correlates well with
stage 4 and up. While it is possible for a cat in early stage to still clear
the
virus, it is more likely an IFA+ cat will remain persistently viremic. It is
not until stage five that a cat is actively shedding the virus and so
infectious to others, and it takes repeated and direct contact with a cat who
is
shedding the virus to result in infection. A cat persistently infected with
FeLV
and immunocompromised is actually more at risk of exposure to other cats than
are healthy adult cats at risk from exposure to a cat which is infected with
FeLV. Not all FeLV+ cats are shedding the virus, and it is not the easiest
virus to transmit...it does not live long outside its host.
Kittens are most at risk of infection...not only because they have an
immature immune system but because lymphocytes in a kitten produce 50 times
more
virus than those of an adult cat. Kittens infected before birth by an infected
mom, or shortly after birth through nursing or mutual grooming, have the worst
prognosis for survival. It is said around 50% won't make it through their
first year. Those that do may continue to do well until around age 2-3-4. Some
manage to live a relatively normal life span. What seems to determine this is
whether or not the relatively benign FeLV-A subgroup of the virus, which is
the only form that is passed from one cat to another, eventually recombines
with
the cat's DNA and mutates into one of the more virulent subgroups. The
FeLV-A+B is the one associated with lymphomas and other cancers. The FeLV-A+C
is
the one associated with severe/non-regenerative anemia. It is possible for
both mutations to occur and a cat to develop FeLV-A+B+C, which is the worst
case
scenario.
If both these cats are currently non-symptomatic, there is no reason to
consider euthanasia at this point. If they can be maintained in an environment
relatively free of stress -- and that includes such stressors to the immune
system as vaccines (which can actually trigger a latent infection into an
active
one), toxic drugs and toxins in poor quality food -- and fed a good quality
diet
(preferably raw-based) with some immune-boosting supplements, their chance
for survival is much better than otherwise.
Some of our listmembers have cats who are 6 years and older, some have lived
into their teens. I lost my first FeLV+ furbaby at 8 mos. to non-regenerative
anemia...I did not know Purrsia was FeLV+ prior to that. Her playmate, Angel
Eyes, who was, in retrospect, probably the source of infection, tested
positive two weeks after Purrsia passed, but thrived for another seven months,
then
suddenly crashed at 18 mos. and was gone 14 days later due to what was
probably lymphoma in her lungs. I currently have two more FeLV+ kittens, a
brother
and sister, now 18 mos. old, who tested positive at 12 weeks and again at 6
mos. and have remained stable and non-symptomatic except for mild gingivitis.
They are on a raw-based diet and immune support with Transfer Factor, Oli-Vet.,
Vit. C, and CoQ10. My miracle baby, Purrki, was put on the same protocol
from the day I brought him home at 6 weeks with runny eyes and horrible
diarrhea.
His symptoms cleared within a few days given some TF therapy, probiotics and
a homeopathic remedy for diarrhea. He has retested negative and is thriving.
If you are not able to find a permanent placement for these cats right away,
perhaps you can find someone who is willing to foster them until one can be
found? There is much than can be done to keep these kittys stable and it would
be such a shame for them to be denied a chance just because they have tested
positive. There is so much ignorance and misinformation about FeLV. Yes,
the prognosis is better for cats with FIV, but being FeLV+ should not be an
automatic death sentence. There is a liklihood the cats may not live to old
age,
but it is not a given they will crash and die soon. I do hope you are able to
give them a chance to know what it is to be loved and have a home for however
long their immune systems can hold out, and perhaps may be able to clear the
virus.
Please keep us posted.
Sally in San Jose
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