MaryAnne,
Welcome to this list! I do not currently have an FeLV cat, but from what I've learned, it is rather difficult to transfer. The kitten would need to have come in contact with saliva from those cats or been bitten by them, etc. I would compare it to the difficulty in transferring AIDS from casual contact. Also, most people believe that the virus cannot stay alive very long. What I mean: once the saliva is dry, the virus is dead and non-transferable. I hope that the man is telling the truth when he says that the cats were separated. As for vaccinations, I never vaccinate my cats against FeLV for the very reason you've listed: Vaccine Associated Sarcoma. I'm so sorry you had to go through this! I am terrified that my cats will get that, so I vaccinate as little as possible, and definitely not for FeLV since my cats do not go outside or come in contact with positive cats. As for testing, I think that if your cat tests negative on the IFA (the test the vet's office sends out for) twice, then you should be fine, but I'm not sure. I know that with kittens, they need to be of a certain age before testing is even accurate. Others on this site will know better than I. As for your peace of mind, if your kitten appears healthy right now, I would hope that all is okay. From what I've read on here, kittens with FeLV are very symptomatic. However, I'm not as experienced, so I'm sure that you'll get lots of good advice from others here. What is most important is that you did a wonderful and compassionate thing by taking this baby into your home. Thanks for helping the helpless! Melissa _____ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Maryanne Velard Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 11:18 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Kitten potentially exposed to FeLV Hi, I'm new to this site, and have a question. This past weekend, I answered an ad in the paper for a kitten found in backyard of someone's house. I went to the house, and the man there told me the kitten showed up at his doorstep about 1 month ago. They he had been feeding him, and I saw the food/water bowls outside. He told me he had 2 indoor cats. I saw one of them while I was there. He brought the kitten I adopted inside (it was very friendly, obviously not ferrel) for me to see. I ended up taking the kitten home. He looks like he's about 10-12 weeks old. The next day he called me and told me his 2 indoor cats were FeLV+ and that he lost another cat this past July to FeLV. I asked him if the kitten I took was exposed to his cats, and he said they remained outdoors and separted all the time. However, he did allow the kitten inside when I was there visiting, so I'm not certain I believe him 100%. I will be having the kitten tested Wednesday for FeLV/FIV, and if negative again in 90 days. This kitten is now in my home strictly indoors, with no other animals. My question is this, if the combo tests I have done show up negative, could the kitten still have FeLV lying dormant until something stressful happens to him, or he gets sick with something else? I've read some controversies on the Web, and would like to know what the possibilities are. I had a 19 year old cat that lived her last 4 years with Vaccine Associated Sarcoma, and it was very emotionally draining. She died this past July. I'd like to be sure I start with a healthly kitten, not one that could have this disease lying dormant. Thank you for your time. -MaryAnne _____ Be a better Heartthrob. Get <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48255/*http:/answers.yahoo.com/dir/_ylc=X3oDMTI5 MGx2aThyBF9TAzIxMTU1MDAzNTIEX3MDMzk2NTQ1MTAzBHNlYwNCQUJwaWxsYXJfTklfMzYwBHNs awNQcm9kdWN0X3F1ZXN0aW9uX3BhZ2U-?link=list&sid=396545433> better relationship answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
