My apologies, I recommended the wrong group. FIVCats2 is the right one.
On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 9:41 PM, Sherry DeHaan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > MaryChristine,I agree with you that the fiv+ boys are the best.My 3 fiv > boys are the sweetest babies and my fiv girl is a sweetie too.I will > probably ALWAYS only adopt fiv cats from now on.We have around 70 fiv cats > at Sids and I would say that 95% are very sweet.Of course as with any cats > you can get grumpy ones too. > Sherry > > > *MaryChristine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>* wrote: > > well, let's see--susan hoffman and i the co-moderators of the oldest FIV > group on yahoo; which is FIVCats2, for reasons that are way too complicated > to go into. > > i am currently owned by two of the little beasts, and have been living > with them since 2002 when i moved into a FeLV/FIV sanctuary. > > does that count as direct experience? > > FIV has NOTHING WHATSOEVER in common with HIV: FeLV is much closer in > terms of how it's transmitted, it's course, and everything else. > > the first investigators to isolate it did so in 1987, at the height of the > HIV/AIDS panic, and gave it a name that has killed far more cats than the > virus ever will. the only people who liken it at all to HIV/AIDS anymore are > the original researchers, who seem to have an investment in doing so, > despite years of research showing them to be in error. these folks use > HIV/AIDS terminology, which is pretty absurd, since H = human, after all. > > the snap test is wrong 40% of the time, even in non-vaccinated cats; the > vaccine has not been proved effective in independent tests (another fine > product of Ft Dodge), and WILL cause any cat to test positive for life, even > on the confirmatory test, which is the western blot. > > FIV cats, most of whom are male, mostly turn into, well, pussycats once > neutered--and couldn't bother biting anyone hard enough to transmit the > virus; when we get timid housecats in who actually DO test positive on the > western blot, one of our vets says that the cat was probably bitten on the > butt trying to run away..... > > should a cat remain aggressive post-altering, filing down or removing the > canines prevents them from biting deeply enough. > > FIVs are more prone to herpes infections and stomatitis than non-FIVs, it > seems, but basically they are VERY VERY healthy: sanctuary anecdotal info > (which, like with FeLV, is all there was for a long time) shows that FIVs > are healthier than any other population. yes, they get sick, but they > respond to treatment as well as any other cat. > > most FIVs die with the virus, not from it, tho, of course, other things > can get them as well. > > MC > > On Thu, Feb 28, 2008 at 2:47 PM, 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> > > > > > > -- > > Spay & Neuter Your Neighbors! > Maybe That'll Make The Difference.... > > MaryChristine > > AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats > MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ICQ: 289856892 > > > ------------------------------ > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! > Search.<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51734/*http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping> > -- 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
