argggggh. there is essentially no such thing as an FIV positive kittens. maternal transmission is incredibly rare, and is still not even considered a normal mode of infection. kittens with an infected mom will test positive until mom's antibodies are out of her system--between 6-10 months.
no sanctuary or rescue that specializes in FIV cats will take a cat without a positive western blot test, as the snap test is only about 60% accurate. a western blot given before a kitten is old enough for mom's immunities to have worn off WILL test positive, but it won't mean anything. i would NEVER vaccinate a cat against FIV--if the cat ever gets out and into the shelter system, he will test positve (not maybe, DEFINITELY), and unless he's microchipped and someone actually checks his record to see he's been vaccinated, his chances of living long enough to be found by you is slim to none. almost all FIV is spread via DEEP, PENETRATING WOUNDS--the sort that boy cats inflict while fighting over girls. that's why a high percentage of FIV cats are boys, with those girls who have it probably getting it during rough sex. once neutered, almost all male cats lose any desire to be that aggressive. in cases where a tom DOES remain aggressive, filing down or even removing the canine teeth makes it impossible for him to bite deeply enough to pass on the virus. most FIV cats, once neutered, seem to turn into very healthy, very large, very lazy, very cuddly couch potatoes. at the sanctuary where i worked, many FIV cats ended up becoming forever cats of the volunteers, because they were just such sweethearts. i have two FIVs in my household right now, a timid flamepoint himmie who must have gotten out and been attacked cuz there's NO way he would have initiated an argument on his own, and an adolescent coonie. FIV cats tend to be very healthy--they have a higher incidence of herpes infections (easily kept in check with the addition of lysine), and a tendency toward other mouth problems. they get sick just like normal cats, and they get better when treated in a timely manner, just like normal cats! as one of my vets puts it, FIV cats die WITH the virus, not from it. it is TOTALLY different from FeLV in how it's spread, and how it manifests itself. (well, after 18 years, the sanctuary director thinks that being fat and lazy and cuddly are the only consistent symptoms of FIV.) here are two of the better articles on FIV: http://www.afa.arlington.ma.us/FIV.html http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/cats_fiv.cfm MC -- MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
