Hi Kerry, I remember you from way back. So glad to see you out there
and hear your story. I think I took in my first FELV cats in 2001 -
Mr. Black Kitty and Calawalla Banana Booboo. Mr. Black Kitty was a
double positive, and lived about a year. He was SOOOOOO skinny, but
an energetic, sweet kitty. Calawalla was a calico kitten, maybe 6 mo
old or so. I kept them in my living room, and one of the first things
I did was put tape on the bottom of the door so that they couldn't
sniff noses with my other cats. My vet told me that wasn't necessary
- the virus only lived a few seconds when it hit the air, and was very
fragile.
I fortunately found this group, and read up on FELV and learned more.
So within a couple of years, I decided that for me, it was time to mix
the FELVs with the other cats, and have been doing that ever since.
Calawalla died when she was about 2 yrs old. I had acquired another
FELV for her - MIttens - who died died a little later. I sometimes
wonder what subgroup/strain they were, and what my present FELV's
are. I've got a great picture of them on a bed with my non-FELV,
Shakespeare, just chillin and looking great.
Anyhow, great to hear from you - Happy Holidays to you, Kerry, sending
love and hugs back at ya -
Gloria
On Dec 25, 2010, at 12:06 PM, Kerry MacKenzie wrote:
Dear all
It's been a few years since I last posted. Background: I found this
amazing,
wonderful, kind, supportive, and knowledgeable group--it remains my
best
Internet experience--after discovering that 5 members of a feral
colony of 4
kittens and 2 adults that I took in in 2003 had tested positive for
a disease
called feline leukemia. (1 of the adults, Momcat, was negative. I
should say, we
didn't know if she was really the mother--I just gave her the name
as she was
the only adult female in the group. I saw no reason to separate her
as she'd
already been exposed, plus she was the most stressed/timid of all of
them.)
Re-testing a few months later showed no change--5 pos, 1 neg.
Within 2 years, 3 of the kittens and the positive adult succumbed to
the
disease, 2 on the same day.
A few months later I re-tested again. This time, both remaining
cats, Momcat and
Mickey, tested negative. Hi-fiving all round! They're now 8 and 7,
respectively.
Still resolutely feral, but healthy!
Fast forward to September this year when I began fostering Sally, a
5-week
calico that had tested positive on both ELISA and IFA. The rescue
group said
they would re-test in 3 months.
The lab people said: "Why bother? Nothing you do is going to change
the result."
One of the vets at the clinic said the same thing: re-testing is
pointless.
The rescue group disregarded the "advice" and earlier this month I
took her for
a 2nd round of ELISA and IFA. Result: both negative!
Just wanted to share--I figure we can always use good news.
I will also say--and it's very much my decision, based on my
personal experience
with healthy adult Momcat (above), who lived alongside 5 positives
but remained
neg--this is the 2nd time I've fostered a pos kitten--Daisy remained
positive
and found a great forever home where she has a pos boyfriend too--
and both times
I've mixed them freely with my healthy, adult cats. As I say, my
personal
decision. I would not say anyone else should do the same thing.
Sending good wishes to all of you who do so much and for all the
kitties in your
care.
love and hugs and happy holidays.
Kerry M., mom to Flavia, Caramel, Levi, Snoball--all of whom gave me
so much in
their all-too-short lives, and are now immortalized thanks to
Belinda and the
Candlelight Service--Mickey, Momcat, Katyis, Trixie and Tiger, and
foster mom to
Sally.
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