|
It's highly unlikely any of your healthy adult
cats could have caught the virus, even with prolonged contact. It's almost
always kittens under one year of age, or immune compromised cats (FIV+) that
catch it from carriers. I would definitely test any cats that are weak, or under
a year of age that had any contact with any of the known positive cats. On the
other hand, it is also very common for cats to fight off the virus if given a
few weeks to a few months, and test negative at a later date. So if you decide
to test them all, be fully prepared to do it at LEAST twice. On the ones that
test positive on both the initial test (I'm assuming you are doing the ELISA
snap test), and the second test done 2 to 3 months later, you need to do the
confirmation test, the IFA. That is a lab test your vet will have to send
samples out for testing to get done. Even if THOSE come back positive, they
still might eventually fight it off, so you NEVER know 100% for sure if it's
hopeless or not. What you need to consider the most now is, are you willing to
turn one of your rooms into a FELV+ cat sanctuary, or do you not have the time,
facilities, or funding to do this? The fact is, it's VERY hard to place cats
that continuously test positive for FELV. You will probably end up owning them
for the rest of their lives. Life expectancy varies VERY much from cat to cat,
averaging from about 18 months to 8 years, but with many dying younger, or
living up into the normal upper ranges for healthy cats. They wont require any
special care, or any expensive treatments if they are not showing active
symptoms of the virus, but it is optional, and is thought that it might
increase life-span to use some of the "unproven" treatments outlined on
the list website (we think we have seen proof, but we have no official
studies, so I don't want to break any laws by saying we have proven results). We
have personal experience that the treatments do help when the cats begin to get
ill. Not everyone doses their positive cats that are not "sick". The main thing
they will need, in the way of special care, is a PREMIUM food. This means NO
CORN or CORN byproducts in their food, and preferably a grain free diet, or a
home made meat diet. Cornell also advises that FELV+ cats get bi-annual exams,
instead of the normal annual exams for negative cats, just to head things off
should something arise during routine bloodwork. FELV+ cats are prone to anemia,
and it doesn't hurt to add a bit of extra iron to their diets either.
Vita-drops, Lixo-tinic, or Pet-tinic, are all good liquid iron supplements for
cats. Many people on this list also add extra vitamin C to their cat's diets,
for it's immune boosting effects. (just like when you take it yourself when you
feel a cold coming on). Other list members will be able to give you more
detailed info on all the supplements and dosages they use. When my Moogie was
sick, she would lick on a mentholated vitamin C drop (yes the fruit flavored
ones, like Hall's) on her own... and usually cats KNOW what their bodies need,
so I think that's proof on that matter. FELV treatment a highly
personal thing, you wont find many vets that will be able to give you any good
advice on FELV, the good ones are few and far between. You may even find
yourself having to twist your vet's arm to get him to prescribe some of the
things you will hear suggested on this list. Prepare yourself to hear lot's of
negative things from your vet, including advise to just euthanise them all. It's
up to you, what YOU want to do for YOUR cats, just remember that!
Personally, I'd just make the bedroom the
FELV cat room... they REALLY seem to be sweeter than negative cats in lots
of ways, and they LOVE to snuggle under the covers when it's cold (it seems
to me that most of them seem to know their time might be short, and so they fit
as much loving in as they can while they can).
Oh and one more thing you are probably worried
about... sanitization. The FELV virus dies within minutes in a dry environment,
and within 3 hours in a wet one (and I can quote Cornell on that one). No bleach
or anything like that is necessary to kill it. Just wash used dishes and
litterpans normally, and set them off in a dry spot to completely dry for 3
hours, and then you can use them for the negative cats with no danger. Lot's of
people think it's hard to kill and really contagious, and that's really not true
at all. You can't carry it on your hands, or anything like that, it has to be
moist direct contact, such as a penetrating bite, mutual grooming over long
periods, sex, direct contact with fresh waste (such as FELV+ cat poops, Negative
cat goes in box, steps in FELV poop, then immediately licks poop off paw while
still wet), or so forth. Even these direct routes of transmission only generally
apply to kittens under one year of age, or immune compromised cats. Healthy
adult cats just do not catch FELV, it's so rare, it's almost impossible. They
develop natural immunity to it as they mature.
I have several different website links on my
webpage for FELV cats, and FELV info in general. Feel free to check it
out:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I collect KMR kitten formula labels for Bazil, a 3 yr old special needs cat who must live on a liquid diet for the rest of his life. Bazil's caretaker collects labels and sends them to KMR, where they add up until she earns a free can of formula! PLEASE save your KMR kitten formula labels for Bazil! If you use KMR, even just one can, please ask me for the mailing address
you can send them to, to help feed Bazil!
|
No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.13/47 - Release Date: 7/12/2005
