Debbie,
I feel guilty as well. What was I thinking adopting a kitten from my local
humane society without making sure my indoor cat was protected against
everything possible? It was really hard for me to deal with (I really beat
myself up about it!) but as time goes by, I don't put all the blame on
myself any longer. The HS should have told me about deadly diseases such as
this & FIP. This was my first experience and the first I've ever heard of
FeLV. I know I would have had my 2 yr old indoor cat vaccinated against
leukemia before bringing in any other cat or kitten. All I was focused on
was giving a homeless kitten a home. I don't regret adopting him. I totally
loved him from day one. However, I do regret not thinking of finding out if
my cat at home needed more protection against diseases that to me were
unknown. I've learned so much from this experience.
On another note, even though I will have him tested next month (3 mos after
last exposure), I plan on having him tested again in Sept (6 mos after
exposure). The reason is, it took 6 mos for it to show up in my kitten. But
I do think his diarrhea was a sign of his leukemia, but I was told that he
was positive for coccidia along with the rest of the litter when he was
born. He was tested for FeLV before I had him neutered at 5 1/2 mos and not
before that. The HS said the ELISA test was negative. He may not have been
shedding the virus or it was too early to detect.
To answer your question, I believe every cat is different. I've read that a
cat can show signs (enlarged lymph glands, lethargy, poor coat, less eating)
from 3 to 10 days after exposure and still clear the virus. I've also read
that some cats test positive on the ELISA 28 days after exposure. My cat
never has tested positive ( I had him tested the day my kitten was
euthanized, 30 days after, and another 30 days after). I'm still concerned
for him since it effects each cat somewhat differently. Just remember that a
healthy adult cat has more of a chance of clearing the virus, than a kitten
or an elderly cat.
I would write down all your questions/concerns and have your vet go over
them with you. My vet did for me and it helped.
Sending positive thoughts your way!
Lynda
Hang in there Debbie! I'm here for support whenever you need it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Debbie Bendell" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2011 12:49 PM
Subject: [Felvtalk] FeLV Transmission - thanks for replies
I am new to this listserv and couldn't figure out how to reply, so I'm
posting a new message.
Thanks for your responses. I feel a little less stupid and guilty for not
having every cat tested before it joined my household. I have many cats
and
the fee for testing is $40, so I can't afford to do them all at once.
Does a cat get noticeably sick when it's first infected? Three of my cats
have been sick enough to need bloodwork since I adopted Tulo, and they all
tested negative. If a cat is infected by an asymptomatic carrier, will
the
newly infected cat also be asymptomatic?
My cats are indoor cats. There is no possible outside source of
infection.
I am just baffled at how Tulo could go from alive and healthy to very sick
and dead in one week. I'm also baffled that no other cats have shown
signs
of illness.
Debbie
--
*You may not change the world by saving one animal, but to that animal it
means the whole world and eventually, saving animals will change the
world.*
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