Hi Melody!
First, I want to say thanks so much for wanting to help a felv+cat, people who
decide to bring one knowingly into their lives seem to be few & far between.
I have 5 now, and I also have many felv- cats, many of those are chronically
ill w/other ailments or "geriatric".
Meaning, they already have compromised immune systems and I have to be very
careful not to expose them to felv.
So, I recommend 2 things, not allowing them to "play"under the door w/each
other (good to get a "flap" that can prevent this) and always wash your hands
after handling your felv+ cat.
It is a very delicate virus, so I do not believe you need to change your
clothes after you spend time w/your felv+ cat.
I don't change my clothes, but if I did I would have to do it several times per
day.
There are others on this list who might advise you to change your clothes, I
don't know.
Ask your vet for his /her opinion, also.
This brings up another question, are you comfortable w/your vet's knowledge of
felv......?
Discoveries are being made quite frequently about this disease, so it is good
to have a vet that is well informed and who keeps up w/all the new medical
developments.
I also recommend the standard immune boosters, L-Lysine, for sure, and I also
use a product called "Missing Link",but I get the "Professional Strength"
formula, which is by prescription (vet).
I also sprinkle Nutritional Yeast onto my cats' dry food, which is loaded w/B
vitamins.
These above products are also good for your felv- cats also, it wouldn't hurt
them that's for sure to have some supplements.
I would invest in a high quality dry food, I use Innova Evo mixed w/Wellness
Core only for my felv+ cats.
My felv- cats get predominantly the above foods, but if I have a coupon or find
a good sale on Nutro, Iams or Blue Buffalo I will mix a bit into their food bin
to help stretch the kitty budget.
They also like these brands, and they think they are getting a real treat when
I mix them in....... :)
You are correct about "dedicated food bowls", I always run mine through the
dishwasher, which would kill any germs but my felv+ cats have their own bowls &
dishes regardless.
Bedding should not be shared, either, just to be safe., and my felv+ have their
own litterboxes also. (I use a different "type"of box altogether for them, that
way I know when I see them they are for felv+).
Since my washer / dryer area is in my felv- cats' room, I never "pull" the
laundry from the felv+suite and leave it anywhere my felv- can lay on it, just
to be safe.
It goes directly into the washer, and I use an environmentally friendly
detergent (7th Generation) but I do use bleach.
I hear that 7th Generation also has a bleach product, but I have yet to find
time to hunt it down...... :)
My cats also have the "Drinkwell" systems, in both areas.
I have 2 fountains that are dedicated to the felv+ alone, and they get
"switched out" every 2 weeks.
I also never clean both areas on the same day, just to be sure I do not mix any
bowls, beds or Drinkwells.
Does that make sense?
I hope this helps you!
Please let us know how things go and if you have anyone questions!
Thanks!
Susan J. DuBose >^..^<
www.PetGirlsPetsitting.com
www.Tx.SiameseRescue.org
www.shadowcats.net
"As Cleopatra lay in state,
Faithful Bast at her side did wait,
Purring welcomes of soft applause,
Ever guarding with sharpened claws."
Trajan Tennent
----- Original Message -----
From: Forgotten Souls
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 9:08 PM
Subject: New to group; Questions
Good evening, all!
I'm new to this group, and came here in hopes I could get some
feedback/advice on multicat homes with pos and neg cats. Specifically, I
currently have neg cats, and am looking to assist a FeLeuk kitty. We have a
nice size home, and have a large spare room that can be easily converted for a
FeLeuk cat to be isolated from my neg guys. My major concerns really are what
types of precautions will need to be taken to protect the neg cats from
contracting it, and protecting the pos cat from any issues as well. I have been
doing some extensive reading, and aside from common sense things (dedicated
food dish, litterbox, etc, using bleach solutions to sanitize), what else
should I be aware of to protect the cats from eachother? Pardon my questions if
they come across as silly, I just want the best for these guys and don't want
to place any undue harm on anys cats, or commit to something I can't do. How
long does the virus actually survive in the environment? Is there anything I
should be doing when going between the FeLeuk room and my cats to prevent
transmission (change clothes, etc)? If any of you have a set up like this, can
you give me specifics on how you are making it work? How contagious and easily
does the virus actually transmit from an affected cat? I think this should
cover my barrage of questions for now. Any feedback on what to do is greatly
appreciated. Thanks, everyone!
Melody
