RE: New to FeLV

[MacKenzie, Kerry N.]

Title: Message

Dear Gia As Kat said, I'm sorry for the reason you had to find us, but welcome to the list. You won't find a more supportive/generous/kind-hearted/better FeLV-informed bunch of people anywhere---I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't found this list--so you have definitely come to the right place. And bless *you* Gia for all that you do---you are clearly a very caring cat "mom", and your kitties are lucky to have found someone like you. Too many never know what it is to be loved, wanted, and cared-for. I totally understand your heartbreak and regret but please please don't beat yourself up---you simply didn't know, and you can't blame yourself for action/inaction when you literally didn't know any better. (Your vet however is a different matter---he or she should certainly have known better. It looks like you've switched vets-----I hope you are happy with and able to trust your new vet. It took me a while -- really the penny didn't drop until I joined the list-- to realize that my naive belief that every vet must be, by definition, a good vet whose first priority was animal welfare, was wrong, wrong, wrong. I now have 2 vets that I do really trust.) I believe you'll find that most people mix their positives and negatives (having vaccinated their negs first). Yours have already been exposed however, so -- in my view, and you will be able to get feedback from others who mix (I don't mix--the positive kits live in my 2nd bedroom) --- there may be no point in vaccinating. Many healthy adult cats remain uninfected because their immune systems are sufficiently strong to withstand infection. Among my feral colony of 6 cats that I took in, 5  turned out to be positive (4 of them were 3-month-old kittens; one was a bit older). The 6th was an adult, and she has tested negative twice even though she continued to live with the positives (it would have been pointless as well as heartless to separate her from her buddies). I'm pretty certainly she was never vaccinated against FeLV. (She lived on the street and is still resolutely feral, so I doubt she ever had a home or anyone who cared for her.) I agree with your decision not to re-test. I feel the same--I have 3 other negative people-friendly cats, and sometimes, even though they share nothing with the positive cats, rational or not, I still worry about them becoming infected. I used to think I should have them tested when they go for their check-ups, but now I see no point. They appear healthy in every respect and if that ever changes that will be the time to do tests. Gia, re your comment>>>>>I did not know that they could been (and obviously, WERE) infected after nearly 2 years...that it could take so long for the disease to manifest itself.  I thought the danger had passed<<<< ,here's an excerpt you may find helpful from The New Natural Cat--A Complete Guide for Finicky Owners, by Anitra Frazier-- it's in the Feline Leukemia section on pages 326/327 should you happen to see the book: "When a positive cat---one carrying the virus--comes into contact with a negative cat--one not carrying the virus--the negative, but exposed cat may: *not become affected in any way; *become infected (positive), develop immunity, and revert again to being negative; *become positive, but not become ill and remain positive--thus becoming a new carrier of the virus; *become positive and develop lymphosarcoma, leukemia, or other cancer; or *become positive and be ill from the virus infection, much like flu; and then recover and remain positive or become negative. A positive cat who has not developed cancer can be tested again in three months. If he has been treated by an experienced veterinary homeopath and put on a high-quality diet designed to build general health and strengthen the immune system, chances are good that he will have reverted to negative. "(my emphasis) Hope that helps. take care, Kerry      -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Prescott Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 12:26 AM To: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: New to FeLV Summer 2002:  Finally took in stray cat that'd been hanging around for a year or so.  Sweet, beautiful short-haired black kitty with yellow eyes, about 2 years old - she met the others, got along fairly well.  Was absolutely IN LOVE with my husband. One Month Later:  To vet for check-up, vaccinations, and spay.  Passed physical.  Did NOT have FeLV vaccine or test, due to my ignorance and lack of info from vet. January 2003:  Had been fine up to now, but has she lost weight?  Began vomiting, drooling, labored breathing.  To vet immediately.  Diagnosis:  FeLV, pneumonia - no air capacity at all left in lungs.  Humanely euthanized.  Nothing from vet re:  contagious nature of disease nor any questions from vet re:  other cats in household, despite fact that he had spayed/neutered ALL the others. Back home.  Began (finally) thinking.  Called vet back.  Asked about other household cats.  Devasted by info given.  Immediately began shuttling other 10 cats to vet for vaccinations.  Total bill:  $465.00.  Told by vet to "watch" others for about 6 months.  Everything fine, until... November 16, 2005.  Elvis, big orange tabby, genius IQ, love of my life, has lost weight.  To (different) vet.  Diagnosis:  Feline Leukemia.  Called vet back (was at work, husband took) re:  other cats.  Told:  "They've already been exposed.  If they have it, there's nothing we can do, anyway."   Now that the long story, semi-short has been told...I intend to re-vaccinate all the others immediately.  If you are wondering why I didn't repeat the vaccine in 2004, all I can tell you is that my cats have NOT been re-exposed...that they have NEVER gone outside themselves...that my house was sanitized top-to-bottom, including brand-new litter boxes, food and water dishes, and bleach everywhere else.  (I don't have any carpet, all linoleum and ceramic tile, so it's easy.) I have only one excuse:  ignorance.  It's only now that I have learned to operate my computer in this very limited fashion, and only now that I see my devastating error.  I did not know that they could been (and obviously, WERE) infected after nearly 2 years...that it could take so long for the disease to manifest itself.  I thought the danger had passed.  Actually, I have no excuse...I only have my heartbreak. Can anyone tell me how likely it is that my others have it?  Or are likely to get it?  I don't really see any point in testing; my house does not lend itself to separation of infected/non-infected, plus the emotional toll on some would be too much.   Never have I regretted an act of kindness to animals...until now.    Thanks for listening. Gia  =00 IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. 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