Hi Jenn,
I'm sure you've got a lot of replies already. If I were in your situation I would keep them separated until your 3 year old cat gets the felv vaccine and booster. Then wait maybe 2 more weeks after that, and let the cats be together. That's what I have done with no transmission so far (about 10 years).
tonya
Jennifer Korin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Jennifer Korin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hi!
I hope it's okay to just jump in here. I found this mailing list
while searching for information about FeLV. About three weeks ago, I
adopted a 6 month old kitten who was tested FeLV negative by the
rescue I got her from. Tessa started sneezing a lot after I got her,
and I took her to the vet to be checked out. During the course of the
visit, they did another FeLV test (because they have a combo of that
with FIV, and the shelter hadn't tested for FIV) and she was positive.
(We're talking tests a literal week apart - the shelter had her tested
when she was spayed the weekend before I got her.)
Anyway, we had just lost a beloved cat to a sudden stomach hernia, and
Tessa had already slid right into the empty hollow in my heart (and at
my feet), so there was no question of sending her back to the rescue.
But, we have an older cat (about 3 years old) who is attached at the
hip to my eight year old. They love each other to distraction. When
we found out that Tessa was infected, we rushed Midnight, the older
cat right in to the vet (although she had only been exposed to Tessa
for four days). Midnight, thankfully, was still negative. We've
scheduled her to be vaccinated (she was running a temp at the last
appointment and we couldn't get it done then).
Here's my concern. At the moment, Tessa is isolated in our bedroom.
She's on about 4 different drugs to rid her of an upper repiratory
infection and a yeast infection in her ears. The vet is also talking
about starting her on Interferon. But, she is a very social kitty.
She wants to be where I am, and is constantly trying to escape the
bedroom. Meanwhile, Midnight is used to having the run of the house,
and though my daughter's room is her "natural habitat", the closed
door is irritating her, since we never close doors. So she keeps
trying to get in. We're just dealing with it until Midnight is
vaccinated, but it's hard to imagine keeping them totally isolated for
however long Tessa is with us. Do you have any advice about + and -
cats together? Will the vaccine and Midnight's adult age protect her
sufficiently? Or should I keep tossing them back in their own areas
every time I open the door? Will Tessa have a crummy life living in
just one room?
Also, does anyone know how a cat could test negative one week and then
positive on both the vet and lab (IFA) tests a week later? Isn't IFA
an indicator of a later stage of infection?
Is there anything important I should know right away to help Tessa
live as long as possible?
She is adorable, by the way - soft and gray, yellow eyes, ridiculously
long tail. She loves on me and my husband, purrs louder than any cat
I've heard, loves to play with anything dangling and attack my feet in
bed, will sit on my arm or lap for hours to be petted and is basically
the most perfect cat ever. (Since my Dot passed on, anyway!)
Phew. Sorry for the long message, I just have so many questions!!!
By the way, I'm Jenn, but I'm used to having lots of Jenns on mailing
lists, so you can call me Jenn K if that helps.
Jenn K
