NINA, EXCELLENT LETTER! I"M FORWARDING THIS TO THE GALS WITH THE FIV+ KITTENS. THEY REALLY NEED THIS PERSPECTIVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH! GLENDA --- Nina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hello Group, > I just saw that someone was asking for help with an > fiv tested kitten. > The following is a post I archived from a trusted > list member, (MC) > about this subject: > > > 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 > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469
