Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
Iva, I don't know what to say about quarantining Becca. My positives were dumpster kittens when I rescued them and were kept separate from the rest until they were tamed. By that time my house kitties had received the FeLV vaccine and booster. To reduce stress on Becca you could alternate who is in the bedroom. Haven't they all been together for a long time already? If so I really don't see the need to segregate them now. Sort of like closing the barn door after the cows have already gotten out. Finally life is a crap shoot. There really is no 100% guarantees on any of this when dealing with FeLV or any health issue. We do what we can and love our beloved companions for as long as we have them. For some of us that has been months and for some that has been years. Sharyl --- On Tue, 8/4/09, Iva Lark Emily Seaberg melleph...@sbcglobal.net wrote: From: Iva Lark Emily Seaberg melleph...@sbcglobal.net Subject: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 1:29 AM Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! It was very reassuring to read all of your posts, especially those with multi-cat mixed households. I spoke to the vet this morning and she was actually ok with my decision, but she wants me to keep my positive kitty isolated for now. She didn't say how long, though I know she is hoping for indefinitely. We are putting Becca on antibiotics for her oral inflammation and then steroids, which I know will temporarily decrease her immune system more but could be worth it in helping her fight the virus back? Anyway, here is my dilemna. Currently, Becca is isolated in my master bedroom/bath. All the cats are unhappy about this. The two negative kitties sit outside the door and reach their paws under to her. They meow at me with a clear Umm, Mom we want our sister back. and they try and sneak in there. She in turn tries to sneak out and is seeming a bit down. She's exceptionally affectionate when we go in there, more so than usual, but she's not eating as much and seems almost a bit depressed. She kept me up all night trying to love on me. I also know it is a small space and can get lonely. Now, I've read what everyone said about stressing her and I don't want to do that, so here's my dilemna. How long should she be quarantined for? The negative kitties JUST got their first vaccine on Friday and won't be at full protection until they get their boosters in 2.5 weeks. Should I keep her in there until at least then? Should I just let her out now? I really really want to minimize the negative's risk of exposure because I don't want them to be infected. I did read the articles everyone mentioned and it was still unclear to me where in the articles it says that it is safe to expose a negative to a positive. It still said they could infect, but no odds were mentioned, so therefore they should be separated. See below: Uninfected cats in a household with infected cats should be vaccinated; however, other means of protecting uninfected cats (eg, physical separation) should also be used. Constant exposure to FeLV-infected cats is likely to result in viral transmission regardless of vaccination status. In ~70% of adult cats, viremia and virus shedding are transient, lasting only 1-16 wk. A few cats continue to shed virus in secretions for several weeks to months after they cease to be viremic. Virus may persist in bone marrow for a longer period, but even this latent, or sequestered, infection usually disappears within 6 mo. Some FeLV-exposed cats (~30%) do not mount an adequate immune response and go on to become persistently (ie, permanently) viremic. Persistently viremic cats develop fatal diseases after a variable time period What if she's just now in the shedding stage? Is she considered persisently viremic at this point as she's had gum issues for a few months? Does that mean she is currently shedding the virus? I almost wonder if the positives that aren't infecting the negatives aren't at the viral shedding stage. Is it really safe to expose the other kitties? Should I keep her quarantined for the next 2.5 weeks or does it really matter? I'm torn. On one hand I don't want to stress her unnecessarily, especially when I'm about to have to give her antibiotics twice a day and steroids twice a day. She is going to hate that. I don't want her to lose weight either, she's always been a tiny, dainty thing and she doesn't have any weight to lose! On the other hand I don't want to infect my other babies and I can't help but worry that to let her out now, before they have full vaccine protection at least, much less before the steroids have a chance to calm her virus down would be to stack the odds against them. I need advice! Iva ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
You'll find opinions all over the place on the net. Some vets are very cautious but then they've probably never had FELV cats - just read the textbooks and seen the sick cats in their practices. However, quite a few people on this list do mix, with no problems. I've done that in the past, still do some. I think healthy adult cats have enough immunity to deal with the virus, whether vaccinated or not. But vaccination probably helps boost that immunity. I also like to use daily low dose oral interferon for FELV+ kitties, at least up until they're about 3 years old. The ones I've had that were born with FELV tend to die at about 3 years old. I think the interferon helps keep the viral load down, and a healthier kitty. I have a friend who does interferon with her FELV cat - she has 1 positive, and 1 negative, mixed of course. She got them when they were kittens. Both cats are well over 3 - maybe 6 or 7 yrs old now - and no problems whatsoever. The vet wanted her to have them retested, she did and nothing had changed (1 pos, 1 neg). Gloria On Aug 4, 2009, at 12:29 AM, Iva Lark Emily Seaberg wrote: Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! It was very reassuring to read all of your posts, especially those with multi-cat mixed households. I spoke to the vet this morning and she was actually ok with my decision, but she wants me to keep my positive kitty isolated for now. She didn't say how long, though I know she is hoping for indefinitely. We are putting Becca on antibiotics for her oral inflammation and then steroids, which I know will temporarily decrease her immune system more but could be worth it in helping her fight the virus back? Anyway, here is my dilemna. Currently, Becca is isolated in my master bedroom/bath. All the cats are unhappy about this. The two negative kitties sit outside the door and reach their paws under to her. They meow at me with a clear Umm, Mom we want our sister back. and they try and sneak in there. She in turn tries to sneak out and is seeming a bit down. She's exceptionally affectionate when we go in there, more so than usual, but she's not eating as much and seems almost a bit depressed. She kept me up all night trying to love on me. I also know it is a small space and can get lonely. Now, I've read what everyone said about stressing her and I don't want to do that, so here's my dilemna. How long should she be quarantined for? The negative kitties JUST got their first vaccine on Friday and won't be at full protection until they get their boosters in 2.5 weeks. Should I keep her in there until at least then? Should I just let her out now? I really really want to minimize the negative's risk of exposure because I don't want them to be infected. I did read the articles everyone mentioned and it was still unclear to me where in the articles it says that it is safe to expose a negative to a positive. It still said they could infect, but no odds were mentioned, so therefore they should be separated. See below: Uninfected cats in a household with infected cats should be vaccinated; however, other means of protecting uninfected cats (eg, physical separation) should also be used. Constant exposure to FeLV- infected cats is likely to result in viral transmission regardless of vaccination status. In ~70% of adult cats, viremia and virus shedding are transient, lasting only 1-16 wk. A few cats continue to shed virus in secretions for several weeks to months after they cease to be viremic. Virus may persist in bone marrow for a longer period, but even this latent, or sequestered, infection usually disappears within 6 mo. Some FeLV-exposed cats (~30%) do not mount an adequate immune response and go on to become persistently (ie, permanently) viremic. Persistently viremic cats develop fatal diseases after a variable time period What if she's just now in the shedding stage? Is she considered persisently viremic at this point as she's had gum issues for a few months? Does that mean she is currently shedding the virus? I almost wonder if the positives that aren't infecting the negatives aren't at the viral shedding stage. Is it really safe to expose the other kitties? Should I keep her quarantined for the next 2.5 weeks or does it really matter? I'm torn. On one hand I don't want to stress her unnecessarily, especially when I'm about to have to give her antibiotics twice a day and steroids twice a day. She is going to hate that. I don't want her to lose weight either, she's always been a tiny, dainty thing and she doesn't have any weight to lose! On the other hand I don't want to infect my other babies and I can't help but worry that to let her out now, before they have full vaccine protection at least, much less before the steroids have a chance to calm her virus down would be to stack the odds against them. I need advice! Iva
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
Hi Iva, I just wanted to tell you how much I can relate to your dilemma. Last year, I brought Tommy home and successfully introduced him to his new brother and sister, only to find out that he was FeLV+. I was given the same two options - separate or euthanize. I can only tell you what I did. I tried separating, but like what is happening in your home, everyone was unhappy about it. I took Tommy to a holistic vet and she told me that separation is stressful to everyone, and this can make it easier for the virus to take over and make Tommy sick. So what I decided to do is NOT separate, keep everyone vaccinated against FeLV (except Tommy), and keep stress to a minimum. Almost a year later, Tommy is showing no signs of illness, and he just turned a year old. My others also show no signs of illness, and I plan to get them tested when they go back to the vet this year, and boosted for FeLV vaccine if they are still negative. I think you said in your other post that they have been living together for a while? And they are still negative? That tells me that they have mature immune systems that are capable of fighting off the virus. It is likely that they will stay negative. Hope that helps, Lisa - Original Message - From: Iva Lark Emily Seaberg melleph...@sbcglobal.net To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:29 AM Subject: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! It was very reassuring to read all of your posts, especially those with multi-cat mixed households. I spoke to the vet this morning and she was actually ok with my decision, but she wants me to keep my positive kitty isolated for now. She didn't say how long, though I know she is hoping for indefinitely. We are putting Becca on antibiotics for her oral inflammation and then steroids, which I know will temporarily decrease her immune system more but could be worth it in helping her fight the virus back? Anyway, here is my dilemna. Currently, Becca is isolated in my master bedroom/bath. All the cats are unhappy about this. The two negative kitties sit outside the door and reach their paws under to her. They meow at me with a clear Umm, Mom we want our sister back. and they try and sneak in there. She in turn tries to sneak out and is seeming a bit down. She's exceptionally affectionate when we go in there, more so than usual, but she's not eating as much and seems almost a bit depressed. She kept me up all night trying to love on me. I also know it is a small space and can get lonely. Now, I've read what everyone said about stressing her and I don't want to do that, so here's my dilemna. How long should she be quarantined for? The negative kitties JUST got their first vaccine on Friday and won't be at full protection until they get their boosters in 2.5 weeks. Should I keep her in there until at least then? Should I just let her out now? I really really want to minimize the negative's risk of exposure because I don't want them to be infected. I did read the articles everyone mentioned and it was still unclear to me where in the articles it says that it is safe to expose a negative to a positive. It still said they could infect, but no odds were mentioned, so therefore they should be separated. See below: Uninfected cats in a household with infected cats should be vaccinated; however, other means of protecting uninfected cats (eg, physical separation) should also be used. Constant exposure to FeLV-infected cats is likely to result in viral transmission regardless of vaccination status. In ~70% of adult cats, viremia and virus shedding are transient, lasting only 1-16 wk. A few cats continue to shed virus in secretions for several weeks to months after they cease to be viremic. Virus may persist in bone marrow for a longer period, but even this latent, or sequestered, infection usually disappears within 6 mo. Some FeLV-exposed cats (~30%) do not mount an adequate immune response and go on to become persistently (ie, permanently) viremic. Persistently viremic cats develop fatal diseases after a variable time period What if she's just now in the shedding stage? Is she considered persisently viremic at this point as she's had gum issues for a few months? Does that mean she is currently shedding the virus? I almost wonder if the positives that aren't infecting the negatives aren't at the viral shedding stage. Is it really safe to expose the other kitties? Should I keep her quarantined for the next 2.5 weeks or does it really matter? I'm torn. On one hand I don't want to stress her unnecessarily, especially when I'm about to have to give her antibiotics twice a day and steroids twice a day. She is going to hate that. I don't want her to lose weight either, she's always been a tiny, dainty thing and she doesn't have any weight to lose! On the other hand I don't want to infect my other
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
My holistic vet prescribed various meds to reduce stress including Rescue Remedy and Feliway. Perhaps yours has some ideas along those lines? On Aug 4, 2009, at 9:08 AM, Lisa Borden wrote: Hi Iva, I just wanted to tell you how much I can relate to your dilemma. Last year, I brought Tommy home and successfully introduced him to his new brother and sister, only to find out that he was FeLV+. I was given the same two options - separate or euthanize. I can only tell you what I did. I tried separating, but like what is happening in your home, everyone was unhappy about it. I took Tommy to a holistic vet and she told me that separation is stressful to everyone, and this can make it easier for the virus to take over and make Tommy sick. So what I decided to do is NOT separate, keep everyone vaccinated against FeLV (except Tommy), and keep stress to a minimum. Almost a year later, Tommy is showing no signs of illness, and he just turned a year old. My others also show no signs of illness, and I plan to get them tested when they go back to the vet this year, and boosted for FeLV vaccine if they are still negative. I think you said in your other post that they have been living together for a while? And they are still negative? That tells me that they have mature immune systems that are capable of fighting off the virus. It is likely that they will stay negative. Hope that helps, Lisa - Original Message - From: Iva Lark Emily Seaberg melleph...@sbcglobal.net To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:29 AM Subject: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! It was very reassuring to read all of your posts, especially those with multi-cat mixed households. I spoke to the vet this morning and she was actually ok with my decision, but she wants me to keep my positive kitty isolated for now. She didn't say how long, though I know she is hoping for indefinitely. We are putting Becca on antibiotics for her oral inflammation and then steroids, which I know will temporarily decrease her immune system more but could be worth it in helping her fight the virus back? Anyway, here is my dilemna. Currently, Becca is isolated in my master bedroom/bath. All the cats are unhappy about this. The two negative kitties sit outside the door and reach their paws under to her. They meow at me with a clear Umm, Mom we want our sister back. and they try and sneak in there. She in turn tries to sneak out and is seeming a bit down. She's exceptionally affectionate when we go in there, more so than usual, but she's not eating as much and seems almost a bit depressed. She kept me up all night trying to love on me. I also know it is a small space and can get lonely. Now, I've read what everyone said about stressing her and I don't want to do that, so here's my dilemna. How long should she be quarantined for? The negative kitties JUST got their first vaccine on Friday and won't be at full protection until they get their boosters in 2.5 weeks. Should I keep her in there until at least then? Should I just let her out now? I really really want to minimize the negative's risk of exposure because I don't want them to be infected. I did read the articles everyone mentioned and it was still unclear to me where in the articles it says that it is safe to expose a negative to a positive. It still said they could infect, but no odds were mentioned, so therefore they should be separated. See below: Uninfected cats in a household with infected cats should be vaccinated; however, other means of protecting uninfected cats (eg, physical separation) should also be used. Constant exposure to FeLV- infected cats is likely to result in viral transmission regardless of vaccination status. In ~70% of adult cats, viremia and virus shedding are transient, lasting only 1-16 wk. A few cats continue to shed virus in secretions for several weeks to months after they cease to be viremic. Virus may persist in bone marrow for a longer period, but even this latent, or sequestered, infection usually disappears within 6 mo. Some FeLV-exposed cats (~30%) do not mount an adequate immune response and go on to become persistently (ie, permanently) viremic. Persistently viremic cats develop fatal diseases after a variable time period What if she's just now in the shedding stage? Is she considered persisently viremic at this point as she's had gum issues for a few months? Does that mean she is currently shedding the virus? I almost wonder if the positives that aren't infecting the negatives aren't at the viral shedding stage. Is it really safe to expose the other kitties? Should I keep her quarantined for the next 2.5 weeks or does it really matter? I'm torn. On one hand I don't want to stress her unnecessarily, especially when I'm about to have to
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
If you want to be ultra careful, I would wait until 24 hours after the other kitties have had their booster. I realize you have already co-mingled so it may not matter L -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Cougar Clan Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 9:14 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? My holistic vet prescribed various meds to reduce stress including Rescue Remedy and Feliway. Perhaps yours has some ideas along those lines? On Aug 4, 2009, at 9:08 AM, Lisa Borden wrote: Hi Iva, I just wanted to tell you how much I can relate to your dilemma. Last year, I brought Tommy home and successfully introduced him to his new brother and sister, only to find out that he was FeLV+. I was given the same two options - separate or euthanize. I can only tell you what I did. I tried separating, but like what is happening in your home, everyone was unhappy about it. I took Tommy to a holistic vet and she told me that separation is stressful to everyone, and this can make it easier for the virus to take over and make Tommy sick. So what I decided to do is NOT separate, keep everyone vaccinated against FeLV (except Tommy), and keep stress to a minimum. Almost a year later, Tommy is showing no signs of illness, and he just turned a year old. My others also show no signs of illness, and I plan to get them tested when they go back to the vet this year, and boosted for FeLV vaccine if they are still negative. I think you said in your other post that they have been living together for a while? And they are still negative? That tells me that they have mature immune systems that are capable of fighting off the virus. It is likely that they will stay negative. Hope that helps, Lisa - Original Message - From: Iva Lark Emily Seaberg melleph...@sbcglobal.net To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:29 AM Subject: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! It was very reassuring to read all of your posts, especially those with multi-cat mixed households. I spoke to the vet this morning and she was actually ok with my decision, but she wants me to keep my positive kitty isolated for now. She didn't say how long, though I know she is hoping for indefinitely. We are putting Becca on antibiotics for her oral inflammation and then steroids, which I know will temporarily decrease her immune system more but could be worth it in helping her fight the virus back? Anyway, here is my dilemna. Currently, Becca is isolated in my master bedroom/bath. All the cats are unhappy about this. The two negative kitties sit outside the door and reach their paws under to her. They meow at me with a clear Umm, Mom we want our sister back. and they try and sneak in there. She in turn tries to sneak out and is seeming a bit down. She's exceptionally affectionate when we go in there, more so than usual, but she's not eating as much and seems almost a bit depressed. She kept me up all night trying to love on me. I also know it is a small space and can get lonely. Now, I've read what everyone said about stressing her and I don't want to do that, so here's my dilemna. How long should she be quarantined for? The negative kitties JUST got their first vaccine on Friday and won't be at full protection until they get their boosters in 2.5 weeks. Should I keep her in there until at least then? Should I just let her out now? I really really want to minimize the negative's risk of exposure because I don't want them to be infected. I did read the articles everyone mentioned and it was still unclear to me where in the articles it says that it is safe to expose a negative to a positive. It still said they could infect, but no odds were mentioned, so therefore they should be separated. See below: Uninfected cats in a household with infected cats should be vaccinated; however, other means of protecting uninfected cats (eg, physical separation) should also be used. Constant exposure to FeLV- infected cats is likely to result in viral transmission regardless of vaccination status. In ~70% of adult cats, viremia and virus shedding are transient, lasting only 1-16 wk. A few cats continue to shed virus in secretions for several weeks to months after they cease to be viremic. Virus may persist in bone marrow for a longer period, but even this latent, or sequestered, infection usually disappears within 6 mo. Some FeLV-exposed cats (~30%) do not mount an adequate immune response and go on to become persistently (ie, permanently) viremic. Persistently viremic cats develop fatal diseases after a variable time period What if she's
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
Thanks, that's actually one of the things I am doing for all of them! I see to it that none of my kitties are stressed. :) - Original Message - From: Cougar Clan maima...@duo-county.com To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 10:13 AM Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? My holistic vet prescribed various meds to reduce stress including Rescue Remedy and Feliway. Perhaps yours has some ideas along those lines? On Aug 4, 2009, at 9:08 AM, Lisa Borden wrote: Hi Iva, I just wanted to tell you how much I can relate to your dilemma. Last year, I brought Tommy home and successfully introduced him to his new brother and sister, only to find out that he was FeLV+. I was given the same two options - separate or euthanize. I can only tell you what I did. I tried separating, but like what is happening in your home, everyone was unhappy about it. I took Tommy to a holistic vet and she told me that separation is stressful to everyone, and this can make it easier for the virus to take over and make Tommy sick. So what I decided to do is NOT separate, keep everyone vaccinated against FeLV (except Tommy), and keep stress to a minimum. Almost a year later, Tommy is showing no signs of illness, and he just turned a year old. My others also show no signs of illness, and I plan to get them tested when they go back to the vet this year, and boosted for FeLV vaccine if they are still negative. I think you said in your other post that they have been living together for a while? And they are still negative? That tells me that they have mature immune systems that are capable of fighting off the virus. It is likely that they will stay negative. Hope that helps, Lisa - Original Message - From: Iva Lark Emily Seaberg melleph...@sbcglobal.net To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 1:29 AM Subject: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! It was very reassuring to read all of your posts, especially those with multi-cat mixed households. I spoke to the vet this morning and she was actually ok with my decision, but she wants me to keep my positive kitty isolated for now. She didn't say how long, though I know she is hoping for indefinitely. We are putting Becca on antibiotics for her oral inflammation and then steroids, which I know will temporarily decrease her immune system more but could be worth it in helping her fight the virus back? Anyway, here is my dilemna. Currently, Becca is isolated in my master bedroom/bath. All the cats are unhappy about this. The two negative kitties sit outside the door and reach their paws under to her. They meow at me with a clear Umm, Mom we want our sister back. and they try and sneak in there. She in turn tries to sneak out and is seeming a bit down. She's exceptionally affectionate when we go in there, more so than usual, but she's not eating as much and seems almost a bit depressed. She kept me up all night trying to love on me. I also know it is a small space and can get lonely. Now, I've read what everyone said about stressing her and I don't want to do that, so here's my dilemna. How long should she be quarantined for? The negative kitties JUST got their first vaccine on Friday and won't be at full protection until they get their boosters in 2.5 weeks. Should I keep her in there until at least then? Should I just let her out now? I really really want to minimize the negative's risk of exposure because I don't want them to be infected. I did read the articles everyone mentioned and it was still unclear to me where in the articles it says that it is safe to expose a negative to a positive. It still said they could infect, but no odds were mentioned, so therefore they should be separated. See below: Uninfected cats in a household with infected cats should be vaccinated; however, other means of protecting uninfected cats (eg, physical separation) should also be used. Constant exposure to FeLV- infected cats is likely to result in viral transmission regardless of vaccination status. In ~70% of adult cats, viremia and virus shedding are transient, lasting only 1-16 wk. A few cats continue to shed virus in secretions for several weeks to months after they cease to be viremic. Virus may persist in bone marrow for a longer period, but even this latent, or sequestered, infection usually disappears within 6 mo. Some FeLV-exposed cats (~30%) do not mount an adequate immune response and go on to become persistently (ie, permanently) viremic. Persistently viremic cats develop fatal diseases after a variable time period What if she's just now in the shedding stage? Is she considered persisently viremic at this point as she's had gum issues for a few months? Does that mean she is currently shedding the virus? I
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
in terms of reducing stress while separating them, you can put up a screen door--unless becca is sneezing vociferously there's no chance of virus transmission (bodily fluids and all), but the kitties can all see one another, sniff one another, play pawsies under the door if you leave an inch, and not feel totally isolated. sadly, we who have FeLVs are the ones who tend to be more up-to-date on the research than most professionals because we have the emotional investment in being so. if we're lucky, we have vets who are willing to learn along with us. believe that NONE of us would do anything to harm our furry ones if we did not believe that actual life experience, not just what research, shows. (hard to do longitudinal research when the research population is routinely killed, remember.) -- Spay Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine Special-Needs Coordinator, Purebred Cat Breed Rescue (www.purebredcats.org) Member, SCAT (Special-Cat Action Team) ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
Most studies deal only with domestic or trapped ferals who already have been tested for FELV. I've always felt that any real study should include sampling ALL cats, domestic and ferals and specifically exclude any cats already testing post. My suspicion is that this virus is a lot more prevalent than anyone knows. Just that statistical data would once and for all bring to light the fact that is NOT as deadly as current studies seem to imply. Consider the fact that its been around since the dinosaurs. If it were that deadly, then all cats would have died even before they were domesticated! Christiane Biagi Cell: 914-720-6888 ti...@mindspring.com Volunteer-St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbpshelter/sets/72157603921945483/ -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of MaryChristine Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 12:32 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? in terms of reducing stress while separating them, you can put up a screen door--unless becca is sneezing vociferously there's no chance of virus transmission (bodily fluids and all), but the kitties can all see one another, sniff one another, play pawsies under the door if you leave an inch, and not feel totally isolated. sadly, we who have FeLVs are the ones who tend to be more up-to-date on the research than most professionals because we have the emotional investment in being so. if we're lucky, we have vets who are willing to learn along with us. believe that NONE of us would do anything to harm our furry ones if we did not believe that actual life experience, not just what research, shows. (hard to do longitudinal research when the research population is routinely killed, remember.) -- Spay Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine Special-Needs Coordinator, Purebred Cat Breed Rescue (www.purebredcats.org) Member, SCAT (Special-Cat Action Team) ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
I'm with Brenda. My Patches wasn't a typical scenario. He was a stray who found us in the middle of the night -- I happened to wake up and hear him demanding attention outside the window. We enticed him in and isolated him in the back hall, giving him food and water. We have a screen door in the back hall whose purpose has been to keep the cats from wandering into the basement, but just for that night we figured it would keep Patches separate from the others until we could tend to de-fleaing, de-matting (he had the nastiest mats) and vetting. Four hours later I awoke to a conversation between Patches and Tribble, taking place in the front porch room, the full length of the house away from where we had safely left Patches. So he had had 4 hours to mingle with the others, eat their food, etc. When we took him to the vet 3 days later -- long holiday weekend -- and found out he was positive, we were worried for the others and were considering whether to have the others vaccinated or what. We didn't, and nobody has gotten sick in the several years since then. We did isolate Patches, after the fact, and I'm very sorry now that we did. After the mats came off -- they must have hurt him dreadfully -- he was such a lovey guy and really wanted to be with the rest of us. I really hope that that wasn't what kicked his FeLV into action -- his lymph nodes swelled and he wouldn't eat, and he was only with us a couple of months. I guess he was just meant to come to us so he would have care and love at the end, but it's still hard when you let them into your life and then they leave. Diane R. -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Belinda Sauro Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 12:44 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? Almost all of the info you are going to find online is outdated. My vet told me the vaccination is 85 to 90% effective and that an adult cat has little chance of getting infected, even if not vaccinated. All I can say is Bailey lived with as many as 8 house mates and not one of them ever became FeLV +. He and Joey were best buds and they would groom, even touching tongue to tongue and I had Joey PRC (DNA test) tested to make sure and he was negative. Bailey lived with his house mates for 11 years so I feel pretty comfortable mixing. If I were to have another positive I wouldn't be worried about mixing as long as they weren't viciously hostile to each other. -- Belinda happiness is being owned by cats ... http://bemikitties.com http://BelindaSauro.com ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
Excellent point. Just applying this to a smaller scale -- any feral colony is extremely lucky if it doesn't have at least one FeLV+ cat in it, yet feral colonies continue to exist and grow. If FeLV were as contagious and invariably-fatal as the stats would have us believe, the feral cat population would long since have dwindled to nothing. Diane R. -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of Chris Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 12:04 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? Most studies deal only with domestic or trapped ferals who already have been tested for FELV. I've always felt that any real study should include sampling ALL cats, domestic and ferals and specifically exclude any cats already testing post. My suspicion is that this virus is a lot more prevalent than anyone knows. Just that statistical data would once and for all bring to light the fact that is NOT as deadly as current studies seem to imply. Consider the fact that its been around since the dinosaurs. If it were that deadly, then all cats would have died even before they were domesticated! Christiane Biagi Cell: 914-720-6888 ti...@mindspring.com Volunteer-St. Bernard Parish Animal Shelter http://www.flickr.com/photos/sbpshelter/sets/72157603921945483/ -Original Message- From: felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org [mailto:felvtalk-boun...@felineleukemia.org] On Behalf Of MaryChristine Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 12:32 PM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties? in terms of reducing stress while separating them, you can put up a screen door--unless becca is sneezing vociferously there's no chance of virus transmission (bodily fluids and all), but the kitties can all see one another, sniff one another, play pawsies under the door if you leave an inch, and not feel totally isolated. sadly, we who have FeLVs are the ones who tend to be more up-to-date on the research than most professionals because we have the emotional investment in being so. if we're lucky, we have vets who are willing to learn along with us. believe that NONE of us would do anything to harm our furry ones if we did not believe that actual life experience, not just what research, shows. (hard to do longitudinal research when the research population is routinely killed, remember.) -- Spay Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine Special-Needs Coordinator, Purebred Cat Breed Rescue (www.purebredcats.org) Member, SCAT (Special-Cat Action Team) ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] How to long to separate negative/positive kitties?
the stats WOULDN'T have us believe it's that bad, that's the point--70% of adult cats will either NOT become infected or will not stay infected. most feral groups don't even bother testing any more, because the rest of the colony has already been exposed and killing asymptomatic cats isn't going to change that. it's been known for a long time that it takes persistent and prolonged contact to pass FeLV--it's ignorance and scare-tactics (and laziness--it's easier to just kill what you don't understand than to stay up on the current research) that keeps killing positives. the tests test only for EXPOSURE--not for persistent infection. we haven't a clue on how many positive, actually infected, cats ever even become symptomatic--it could be a very small number. we don't even know how many positives really are, since vets can't seem to get the need to retest issue, tho it's been in the professional and educational literature for at least the past ten years. just ten years ago, vets everywhere were telling people that if an outside cat with FeLV breathed on your housecats through a screen, your cats WOULD catch it. sometimes, it seems we haven't gotten much beyond that point. MC -- Spay Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference MaryChristine Special-Needs Coordinator, Purebred Cat Breed Rescue (www.purebredcats.org) Member, SCAT (Special-Cat Action Team) ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Update re: New Kitten, New Worries
Good news! Our newest kitten, arescue who only has about 20% sight, is FeLV NEGATIVE! We dearly love our two positive kitties but are so glad Charcoal doesn't have that to deal with in addition to blindness. Thanks to all for the kind words! Jody and Coal Help blind cats see a future! www.blindcatrescue.com On Aug 3, 2009, at 1:00 PM, felvtalk-requ...@felineleukemia.org wrote: Send Felvtalk mailing list submissions to felvtalk@felineleukemia.org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to felvtalk-requ...@felineleukemia.org You can reach the person managing the list at felvtalk-ow...@felineleukemia.org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than Re: Contents of Felvtalk digest... Today's Topics: 1. Re: Have I done enough to open the room where ourbeautiful little FELV+ kitty died? (catatonya) 2. Re: Have I done enough to open the room whereourbeautiful little FELV+ kitty died? (gary) 3. New Kitten, New Worries (Jody Butler) 4. Re: New Kitten, New Worries (Gloria B. Lane) 5. Re: New Kitten, New Worries (Sharyl) 6. Introduction - Rebecca (Iva Lark Emily Seaberg) 7. Re: Introduction - Rebecca (gary) 8. Re: Introduction - Rebecca (Chris) 9. Re: for Kelley OT (Kelley Saveika) 10. Re: Introduction - Rebecca (Sharyl) 11. Re: Introduction - Rebecca (Diane Rosenfeldt) -- Message: 1 Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 10:55:07 -0700 (PDT) From: catatonya catato...@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] Have I done enough to open the room where our beautiful little FELV+ kitty died? To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Message-ID: 877117.77528...@web43139.mail.sp1.yahoo.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 are your other cats vaccinated? if so I would go ahead. --- On Tue, 7/21/09, margaret-sou...@comcast.net margaret-sou...@comcast.net wrote: From: margaret-sou...@comcast.net margaret-sou...@comcast.net Subject: [Felvtalk] Have I done enough to open the room where our beautiful little FELV+ kitty died? To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009, 12:12 AM I hope we can get some advice. Last Monday we had to have our beautiful little foster kitty euthanized.? We belong to a rescue group that pulls and fosters cats at the local county shelter who are in danger of being put down.? We found out about a week after pulling little Maybelline that she was FELV+.? Our vet did complete blood work on her.? Her pvc was only 20 (normal being 30-45), but she was eating and loved attention.? We were so hopeful and of course adopted her immediately.? Within ten days or so Maybelline became listless and wouldn't eat.? Our vet rushed over.??Total count?was down to 8% and immediately we rushed Maybelline to the local vet hospital for a blood transfusion.? She did really well; predisone was also described.? Again we were hopeful.? Our vet planned to check her count every week. At week one it was 15%, not great, but if she could maintain it and EAT, she could continue on.? In only 5 days we noticed same ominous symptoms again.? Vet rechecked Maybelline's blood.? Count was down to 10% and her gums were terribly pale.? In good conscience our vet said we simply couldn't transfuse every two weeks, it just wasn't fair to our little girl.? I heard this news when in Boston visitng my aging (95.5 yrs) mother.? My husband had been prepared that Maybelline might die over the weekend before I returned.? My husband tried everything he knew to get her to eat, but nothing really worked.? She was just too weak. Thankfully, little Maybelline lasted through the weekend.? Sunday we tried to spend as much time as possible with her.? Monday our vet euthanized her.? Both of us were crying.? I'm still having bad spells as it just seemed so preventable and unnecessary if only Maybelline's first owners had vaccinated her! Anyhow, we kept her completely separate from our other five kitties.? We've cleaned the room thoroughly (soap and water on floors and walls she might have touched) and removed her litter box.? I always kept her food dishes separate.? The perch cover and blankets and sheets she touched or slept on have been washed with bleach.? Only a few furniture surfaces like the legs on the bed or desk haven't been washed.? Should they be?? While we would take another FELV+ kitty in a heartbeat (just hope we'd have them a little longer!), we definitely don't want to jeopardize our other little ones who are 100% healthy and have had vaccinations against FELV. Can we open the room at this point?? Our other five kitties used to?play in?it, but we heard no complaints when Maybelline occupied it! We'd appreciate any advice anyone can give on this topic.? I'm
[Felvtalk] Please help Snowball, FeLV+, get to his forever home.
Hello Everyone, Snowball is FeLV+. He is a three year old male with the most beautiful skye blue eyes I have ever seen. Unfortunately, keeping him is not possible because not only am I allergic to cats but my mother and brothers all suffer from asthma. Otherwise, I would not be in the situation I am in with Snowball. I just can't properly care for him. Help him get to his new home, where a loving and caring family is expecting him. Snowball is going to a home based sanctuary called Second Chance Meow. The fundraiser, where you can also read more on Snowball, is set up at: http://www.fundable.com/groupactions/groupaction.2009-08-03.8415646672 Anything is welcome. Thanks. Reyna Castano ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Wolfie Update
So I've been posting about my cat Wolfie who has been losing weight since about mid 2006, from 15.4 lbs down to 10.8 lbs today. His last visit was on July 2nd and he had a HCT of 29. He also tested positive for Mycoplasma haemominutum previously called Haemobartonella felis small form. He's been on doxy, pred, and Pet-Tinic twice daily for almost a month. My vet thought he looked great today and he hasn't lost any weight since his last visit but he's not gaining and his HCT is still going down. We took a tiny amount of blood and sent it out for a reticulocyte count. I've lost almost all my leuk positives to anemia in the end (except for one to lymphoma and one to neurological issues) and I'm really bummed out by the news. I was hoping treating the Hemobart would help the HCT even though my vet wasn't as optimistic. I'm just wondering how most people here lose their leuk positives. It seems all of mine do so well, are completely asymptomatic and then out of nowhere they stop making red blood cells, the HCT starts to drop, and it is downhill from there. My vet wrote me a 10 page letter on everything that could cause weight loss and anemia and we have eliminated almost all the possibilities I think. We haven't done a digestive panel yet because it takes 4 mls of blood and I don't want to do that with his HCT dropping. If the reticulocyte test comes back and shows he is making red blood cells, we will start investigating digestive issues or anything else that could be causing his lower HCT. If it comes back as nonregenerative anemia, is there anything I can do? I know there is the option of Epogen and I'm looking into that. Anything else or do I just spend time with him and wait? I hate this point where they are feeling fine, looking fine, and I know it's only a matter of time :( This guy has been with me longer than any of my other positives and I'd do anything to help him but I'm afraid there's nothing else I can do. Thoughts? Amy ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org