Sandra Welcome to this board==you'll get a whole lot of info here from folks with a whole lot of experience!
About testing--there are 2 common tests: The snap Elissa test done right in the vet's office and the IFA where blood is sent to lab. If you only had the Elissa, try to get the IFA as confirmation. It can't hurt. As for mixing, I'm one of those who does mix. I did not find out my Tucson was pos until years after she lived with my other cats (she had tested neg as a young kitten). The other cats never "caught" felv virus. I had them tested and vaccinated after I found out Tucson was pos. They eat together, sleep together, groom each other, share litter boxes, etc. and have done so since they were kittens. Tucson's only problems have been a few episodes of having a very low white blood count--my vet used a series of immune regulin shots to bring it back up. Sadly, my other pos cat, Romeo, died of lymphoma earlier this year. He was at least 7. You can get Stella tested and vaccinated. I say tested because of my own experience where I had Tucson for a number of years before I even knew she was pos! Basically, I'm one of those who doesn't think twice about mixing but that's a personal decision. Others on the board can give you more of their experiences and expertise. I know that kittens are at the highest risk of contracting all those diseases that FELV + cats can be prone to (URI, anemia, etc). You have to basically focus on giving her the best shot to strengthen her overall health and immune system. Good food, a warm place, etc. There are supplements folks use as well but Tucson is such a temperamental (aka spoiled) cat that I don't push that too much for her. And hurrah to you for taking Penny in.... Chris -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Sandra Brunner Sent: Friday, July 03, 2009 9:38 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Felvtalk] kitten with FeLV Hi there, I'm new to this... looking for some advice. I took in a stray, she's about 7 months old. She tested positive for FeLV. I didn't know she had FeLV. I took her in as she was hanging out on the patio of a restaurant, near a busy street. The owners of the restaurant were going to take her to the humane society. I already have a cat, who is not FeLV positive. The stray is with me while I try to re-home her, and my cat is with a friend. In an ideal world, I would like to keep the stray (Penny) and have her and my cat. Is this possible? Should I have Penny re-tested with a DNA test to make sure she does have FeLV? My cat (Stella) is an indoor cat, 7 years old. and has had all of her shots every year except for the last year. Is there any way they can live together with Penny being FeLV positive? any insight or links to relevant websites/postings would be greatly appreciated! thank you. s. _______________________________________________ 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
