Hi Caroline, Not direct experience, but I am on a good FIV yahoo group. It is absolutely true it is caused by deep bite wounds. To make matters more complicated, a positive test result can be caused by vaccinating the cat against FIV. There is now a test to see if the positive result is caused by the FIV vaccine or actual exposure to FIV, but it involves sending the blood off to a certain lab in California, I believe.
Here is the FIV Yahoo group: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FIVCats On 2/28/08, Caroline Kaufmann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Does anyone have any direct experience with FIV that they can pass on to > me? I know the gist of course, since I foster cats and have "met" *and > lost the battle to*- both Felv and FIP in the past year (ugh). I have > heard that cats with FIV can be fairly successful- live heathly lives barely > affected by the disease (is this true?), and it really is a lot like human > HIV? I have also heard this is the one retroviruses that is transmitted by > deep bite wounds and NOT casual contact? > > I am going to help a man who has taken in a alley cat that hung around his > house for about 3 years that tested positive of FIV. He was clearly > neutered by alley cat advocates b/c he has a tipped ear. He says it's a > wonderful, approx. 5 yo tuxie. He has him in the bedroom for now (his only > room with a door in his house) because his own cat is an extremely > aggressive, neutered male and after 3 years of the tuxie hanging around > outside, and being in the house for a while now- they can't sort out their > differences and they will fight. He wishes he could keep the cat but with > his cat- being such an aggressive fighter, and the tuxie being a fighter > when need be (alley cat mentality)-- he just doesn't see it as possible due > to transmission to his cat. > > The cat did get outside and got in a fight recently- ended up with an > abcess on his ear- being treated by a vet, stint put in and he has a f-u > next week- but it was at that appointment that the vet found the FIV and > said "segregate!"- as they always do. > > I am going to work to get the cat into our adoption program as a "special > needs" cat in the hopes that someone w/o other cats, with a non-aggressive > cat, with a docile female, with other FIV cats, etc., would be willing to > take him on. In the meantime, this man has agreed to continue to "foster" > him in his home while I work to help him out with the situation. > > In the meantime, I want to build up my knowledge so that I have "talking > points" for potential adoptive parents and I can educate if someone w/o > prior FIV experience is willing to take him. The man seems to understand > that he could have a cat on his hands with something a lot worse (like Felv > or FIP), so he's definitely not an overreactor and he seems well-educated. > > Any info that anyone has will be great! Especially PERSONAL EXPERIENCE > and/or accurate and trustworthy websites I can read and pass on to others! > > thanks, > Caroline > > ------------------------------ > Helping your favorite cause is as easy as instant messaging. You IM, we > give. Learn > more.<http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/?source=text_hotmail_join> > -- Rescuties - Saving the world, one cat at a time. http://www.rescuties.org Vist the Rescuties store and save a kitty life! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home?tag=rescuties-20 http://www.zazzle.com/rescuties* Please help Clarissa! http://rescuties.chipin.com/clarissasheart http://www.change.org/rescuties
