i go for separate rooms for FIVs and FeLVs, with FIV/FeLVs mixed with the FeLVs, unless all the FIVs were vaccinated against FeLV. even then, for public relations reasons, i'd probably keep them separate. yes, while many people think you shouldn't vaccinate FIV cats, there's no research showing they have any higher incidence of vaccination-related problems than any other cat, and in a multi-cat environment where newcomers always carry the risk of bringing in distemper, you really REALLY have to weigh the pros and cons of vaccination. distemper is a really nasty, mean death, and i wouldn't want to expose ANY cat to it--i vaccinate on legs instead of in the scruff, and use the vaccines least known to cause problems.
i don't think there's any real research showing that a healthy FIV cat is any more likely to catch FeLV than a healthy non-FIV one. FIVs are actually generally VERY healthy, except for the higher incidence of problems with herpes and stomatitis. i know of a number of FIVs who tested positive initially for FeLV, were moved into FeLV environments, then tested negative later on at the same rate that the false positives did....
On 11/12/06, Jennifer Phaewryn O'Gwynn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Oh and missed the what would I do part of that.In the case of FIV positive, I advertise the cat for adoption as FIV+ and provide educational links and brochures for people so they can learn about FIV and know that it's OK to have a FIV+ cat with other negative cats. These usually take about 6 months to a year to place.In the case of FELV, the same as above, except I advise that although FELV is not easily transmitted, it can be passed on to other cats in the household. I tell people that the cat deserves a home just like any other cat, and would be perfect for a home without other cats, or with other FELV+ cats, and if I have more than one in rescue, I offer a very reduced adoption fee for a PAIR of FELV+ cats. Usually, sadly, these cats do not find homes. At that point it's a personal choice, do YOU want to create a FELV+ sanctuary room at your rescue, or do you want to euthanise?Now, when it comes to deciding on sanctuary rooms, here's the tricky part. Do you make ONE room and mix FIV+ and FELV+ both in it, or do you make a FELV+ room, and a FIV+ room? And what do you do with a double positive cat with both FIV AND FELV? Most FIV+ cats are likely to catch the FELV if put in with FELV+ cats, BUT it's rare for a FELV+ to catch FIV from a FIV+ cat. So... Make a separate room for FIV and FELV, then if you have a double positive, put that cat in the FELV room. This way, you are keeping the FIV+ cats as FIV+ only, since they are the most likely to stay healthy long term, and also the more adoptable of the two.OR, you can just mix em all together and hope for the best, but then you can't make guarantees on adoption contracts either, unless you plan to retest the DAY the cat gets adopted, so you can be sure the cat is still negative before it goes through the door, since it's been in contact with positive cats.
PhaewrynPlease adopt a cat from Little Cheetah Cat Rescue!!! http://ucat.us/adopt.html
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