Any responsible vet will treat an FeLV+ kitty. One of the first things to know about this virus is that it isn't nearly as casually contagious as was first thought, though it is more readily transmittable than the other bugaboo, FIV. Unless the cat is in a position to bite other cats, or is sharing food and water with them, which is not likely in an emergency-vet situation, it's not readily transmittable. And as some on this list will attest, from letting their + kitties mingle with their negatives, even the food and drink isn't necessarily a problem. My Patches escaped his temporary confinement -- he was a 3 a.m. rescue, we lured him into our back hall, fed him, left him there blocked from the rest of the house by a 7-foot screen door, and went back to sleep...at 6 a.m. woke up to find him in our FRONT porch room 50 feet from where we'd left him, having a conversation with one of our other cats! He'd had 3 hours to get over or under that door, wander the length of the house and interact with all the cats, and partake of their grazing crunchies and water. He died 6 weeks later, but none of the others have shown a single symptom. If he had lived, we would have had the others vaccinated as an extra precaution, and let him hang out with them. As it was, we had to keep him in a room by himself while he was sick, and he really wanted to join us all, he was such a sociable little guy. That was really hard. At least we were able to give him some comfort -- when he came, he had such huge, severe mats of fur on his sides that they looked like wings. They must have hurt him horribly, he wouldn't let you touch him past his shoulders. He came to us over a 4th of July long weekend so it was a few days before we could get him to the vet, and we were able to get some of the matting off him by me distracting him and my housemate snipping at the mats practically one strand of fur at a time. (A few months later, cleaning behind some furniture in the porch room, we found another piece of "wing" that he must have rubbed off himself on the furniture.) He was also filthy, and we would pet him with damp cloths wherever he'd let us, and he cleaned up into a lovely Turkish Van. Thankfully, our vets, who don't usually do extensive grooming like this, took pity and were able to clean him up and deflea him during his exam. After that he loved being petted all over. We would gladly have kneecapped whoever left him out on his own to get into this condition, even if he had been FeLV negative! We had already socialized a near-feral cat, and it had taken months. This guy was immediately friendly and had obviously been someone's pet. Oops, I digressed a little there! But the point is that no knowledgeable vet would refuse to treat a cat on the basis of its FeLV status. It's so good that your regular vet is being so supportive. It can be really disheartening to have to look for a new vet on top of everything else. Diane R.
________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, July 07, 2008 9:10 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Smokey update Hi Everyone, I had a real scare with Smokey over the weekend. I thought I was loosing him and I didn't even know if an emergency vet would treat him because of his disease. Do they?The good news is that I didn't need to find out, he's snapped out of it. I've been treating him for an upper respiratory problem and an eye infection. He also has ulcers on his mouth, poor boy! The little cat is a wreck, but he appears to have turned the corner. As of today, his mouth is healing, his eye isn't running and his breathing is normal. I do not want to get my hopes up too much, but I sure do want the little boy to stay with me. I can't believe how many tears I have shed for a little guy I've known less then two weeks. He's just so sweet. Is it normal for them to snap back so quickly? Is this a good sign that he might live a while? My vet says that he could live a few years and has even emailed me outdoor enclosures to look at. He was a stray and longs to be outside, so it would be nice for him to go outside once in a while. I really appreciate this site. It's wonderful to hear from people who know about this and also who understand. As with my horse, (he's a rescue, too) most of my friends think I am nuts for taking on this little cat. Thank you for listening, Kathryn -----Original Message----- From: catatonya <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sun, 6 Jul 2008 7:33 am Subject: Re: Welcome, Kathryn I didn't get your original email Kathryn. Welcome to ghe group. Is your cat showing any symptoms? How old is he? tonya Diane Rosenfeldt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: You've come to a great place for information and support. Others have much more experience with these babies, but I can tell you that diet and stress control are paramount. If you can give your new guy (what's his name?) the best food possible and keep him as happy as possible, that's a great first step. You can also supplement his diet with L-lysine (from natural food stores, without the additives found in the kind you find in most drugstores, which is toxic to cats). Make sure your vet is knowledgeable on FeLV -- if he/she didn't immediately suggest euthanasia, that's a good sign. If he/she isn't, look around for one who is. Some people here like holistic vets, if there are some in your area, in addition to their regular vet. There's no way to know how long any of them will last. Some people here have kitties who have lived long and well with FeLV, and then there are some (like my Patches, who came to me as a stray, too, who only stayed with me six weeks.) What's important is to enjoy him every minute he's with you, fight the good fight together, but know when it's time to let go. Not easy, but doable. Good luck with your guy. Diane R. ________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2008 9:50 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Melina Please add to the CLS :( I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Melina. I am new to this site and really know nothing of this terrible disease. I have recently (just bringing him home from the vets today) adopted the sweetest little boy who sadly has this virus. He showed up a few days ago as a stray. My husband and I fell in love with him and took him to the vet for shots, etc. Sadly, we were informed that he has tested positive. I really do not know what this means. Any information will be greatly appreciated. I especially would like to know what I can do to keep him well for as long as possible. The vet suggests Vitamin C. Any information will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Kathryn -----Original Message----- From: Lynne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 8:20 pm Subject: Re: Melina Please add to the CLS :( I'm so saddened Sherry that Melina couldn't rally yet another time. My heart honestly aches everytime I hear of another passing. It sometimes makes one wonder just how much a body can endure. But I guess the courage and trusting nature of these dear creatures makes it possible to go on. Lynne ----- Original Message ----- From: Sherry DeHaan To: Felvtalk Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 10:44 PM Subject: Melina Please add to the CLS :( First of all I want to thank all of you for your prayers and good thoughts for this beautiful baby.The aweful disease was way too much for her this time.She was a VERY spunky little girl.My heart aches without her in my life.I need to keep telling myself that I gave her so much love that she was happy until the end.I will miss her little loving head butts and rubbing her sweet face on mine.Ok now the tears are coming out. :( Once again thank you all so much for having to listen to all my sadness.But I also get ALOT of goodness out of these creatures. Sherry ________________________________ _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ________________________________ The Famous, the infamous, the lame - in your browser. Get the TMZ Toolbar Now <http://toolbar.aol.com/tmz/download.html?NCID=aolcmp00050000000014> ! _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ________________________________ The Famous, the infamous, the lame - in your browser. 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