[Felvtalk] Clumping litters - safer alternative (cheaper)
Hi folks, I usually just read and learn here since I foster bottle baby kittens for a local rescue and have only had one kitten confirmed positive for FeLV out of hundreds fostered. I use pelleted chicken feed as litter for kittens learning to use the litterbox. At that age non-clumping clay litter should always be used since kittens learning to use the litterbox sometimes taste the litter or play in it, or get it stuck between their toes. I learned about using chicken feed instead a few years ago at the yahoo orphan kittens list group. You can buy it in 50 pound bags for around $16 per bag. I use the laying hen pellets, but other people use the crumble which is more sandlike and much much messier! The pellets are the same size and shape as yesterdays news litter, but the big advantage for me is that the litter clumps very mildly - enough that I can scoop out pee clumps. Since it is chicken feed, if they eat it... no big deal. Hope this helps someone! Georgetta in Ventura ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Adult cats immunity to FeLV
Just wanted to insert a few thoughts. Last year when I ended up with a FeLV kitten I did strict quarantine and a LOT of googling research. In a nutshell, here is what I found - in general terms. 1. FeLV even in a kitten with an active infection is not easily spread from cat to cat. The virus is much like Human HIV - very fragile in the environment - some sources say that it dies in minutes unless conditions are optimum - temperature, humidity, etc. To contract it, they have to have close contact - grooming, licking, etc. We did have one negative kitten in foster care contract FeLV from a positive kitten she had very close contact with - they were Best Buddies. The other littermates repeatedly tested negative but they were not as closely associated with the kitten who tested positive first. 2. Adult cats are apparently less susceptible to contracting it, even when exposed longterm in an unvaccinated (FeLV vax) multicat household - apparently a healthy mature immune system is strong enough to eliminate the virus in most adult cats even with close contact. 3. Some cats can have positive tests and live long and apparently healthy lives; others die in the first year of life. 4. I am now very careful with quarantine on sickly kittens that arrive with problems such as persistent colds, mange mite or ringworm infections - I think it is possible that these kittens may have a compromised immune system from birth that may make them more vunerable to contracting FeLV. Hope this sparks some serious googling! There is a LOT of info out there! Just use your brain and evaluate what you read - there are some sketchy sites/cures too. Georgetta ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Felv Testing flowchart
Dear Gloria and all, Here is a link that was sent to me a couple of years ago that I found very helpful. It shows a flowchart with the testing protocols. It doesn't specify much in the way of time frames though. If the kittens tests a weak positive on the SNAP Elisa, there is a very good chance that a later retest will be negaive. I was told to wait about a month for a retest, but have had one older kitten test negative on retest in 10 days! I had him retested sooner since he had been in foster care for over a month and his brother tested negative even through they had been very close - mutual grooming, play biting, sharing food dishes/litterboxes, etc. The SNAP tests are VERY sensitive and can sometimes produce light or weak positives if the kitten has been lightly exposed to URI but appears healthy. http://www.felineleukemia.org/felvhlth.html Here is the link to the info. I have quite a bit of other info I have accumulated in case anyone is interested. G Today's Topics: 1. retesting kittens (Gloria B. Lane) 2. Re: retesting kittens (Marta Gasper) 3. Re: Sir Rouncewell Please add to the CLS :*( (Marcia) 4. Re: Sir Rouncewell Please add to the CLS :*( (Marcia) 5. Re: Sir Rouncewell Please add to the CLS :*( (Val Green) 6. Re: Sir Rouncewell Please add to the CLS :*( (kat parker) 7. Re: Sir Rouncewell Please add to the CLS :*( (Marcia Baronda) 8. Re: Sids kid?? (Lorrie) 9. Re: Sids kid?? (Terri Brown) 10. Re: Sids kid?? (Beth) ___ 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] Hunters
Your posts reminded me of something that happened 40+ years ago on our family farm in Central California... during dove hunting season. We did not allow hunters on our property, but when dying doves fell in our fields and pastures after being shot nearby, hunters would climb over our fences to retrieve the bloody bodies. One afternoon the shotgun pellets were raining down on our roof and through the branches of our oak trees and we were afraid to go outside so Mom called the county sheriff. When he arrived to talk to them about unsafe shooting... Mom noticed his hand was bandaged...an idiot dove hunter had actually shot the deputy in the hand!!! Go figure! When I drove my 25 miles to work, each morning I felt like a cardboard duck in a fair shooting gallery... groups of hunters parked on their backsides sitting on coolers of beer with umbrellas erected overhead would wait on both sides of the road for flocks to fly over. I managed to get to work unscathed for 5 years, but was never certain I would survive the Sept - Nov. annual killing season. Our hunting neighbor across the road went out with a few friends and came back with only one eye... not a single friend would admit he fired the blinding shot. Nice, huh? Georgetta ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Vaccine induced cancer - more info.
Hi list, Here are a couple of links I found by googling. The first one has a lot of info and includes a chart identifying where to inject which vaccine on a cat. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=AA=526 This one has some general information on the subject. Both UC Davis and Cornell University have extensive information too. http://maxshouse.com/vaccine_induced_sarcoma.htm Here is the Cornell one. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/vaccsarc.html Here is a Wiki one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine-associated_sarcoma Hope you find this helpful. Georgetta ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
Re: [Felvtalk] HELP transport needed asap
Hi, I just wanted to let you know that the FeLV+ momcat (Tangy) and her 2 kittens made it safely to Second Chance Meows in Reno. I know, because after an urgent call from Michael, founder of Second Chance, my husband and I drove down and picked them up from the shelter in Rancho Cucamonga on 6-27. I was able to find safe transport by car to Lake Tahoe for them about 4 days later. Michael from Second Chance was able to drive to meet the kind lady who offered space in her car for them from Fillmore, CA to Lake Tahoe and bring them home to his sanctuary in Reno. I wanted to send a BIG warm Thank You to Amy at R.C. city shelter, Wendy who transported the kitties, her aunt who kindly emailed about 300 pilots and her family members about needy kitties needing transportation, Michael who opened his heart and home to 3 more felines in need, and last but certainly not least, to all of the other people who helped keep this sweet momcat and her 2 babies alive until they reached sanctuary. Georgetta in Ventura, CA Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:24:39 -0700 From: secondchanceme...@yahoo.com Subject: HELP transport needed asap To: felvpositivecats-ow...@yahoogroups.com; felvpositivec...@yahoogroups.com; felvtalk@felineleukemia.org; gebr...@hotmail.com hey everyone, I have a mommy and 2 kittens that need transport from Rancho Cucamonga CA shelter to Reno, Nv asap. Mommy and 1 of the kittens are doing good but 1 of the kittens has gotten the shelter URI and they need out now. I can travel part way to meet if needed and will help with gas costs if needed. please let me know if you can help Michael Johnson Founder/Owner Second Chance Meows A FeLV Sanctuary ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Cats eating grass, insects, etc.
Hi! I usually just lurk on this list, but had to share a short story from the recent past. We have a set of security screen doors on our front door and tend to leave the interior solid door open for cooling breezes, sometimes all night in warm weather. There is a tiny 1/4 in. gap at the bottom of the screen doors. One morning I walked out and found a lizard tail (just the tail) on the rug just inside the front door. Apparently a lizard came exploring under the door and one of our family felines got into some midnight mischief. Hope the rest of the lizard got back outside, but it was a bit of a shock to pick up the string then realize it was a 6-7 inch lizard tail first thing in the a.m. A real wake up experience! Georgetta in Ventura, CA ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] litter - chicken feed
Hi, I use laying hen pellets (chicken feed) in the litter boxes for my bottle babies. I learned about it from orphan kittens list @ yahoo.com a few years ago. The poster suggested using the laying hen crumble, but I found that the pellets work better for me. They look sort of like yesterday's news or feline pine, but smell like grain and are yellow in color. The cost here is about $15 for a 50 pound bag and you can flush or compost it (remove the solids (poops) first). It doesn't clump hard, but it does cling together enough to get a scoop under. My adults and older kittens prefer regular clumping litter, but for the babies just learning to use the litter box it is just purrfect! If they eat a bit of it accidentally, it's no big deal! You can easily pick up stray pellets and it isn't very dusty. I recycle my Tidycat pails to store it. The lids have good seals so any moths aren't able to get out. A 50# bag just about fills 2 of the biggest (35-38#) yellow Tidycat pails. Georgetta in Ventura, CA ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Cats getting out the front door
Hi list, I usually just lurk on this list, but I wanted to post regarding opening the front door to talk to a visitor and having a cat dash out. If you can add a screen or securty door outside your main door, that would stop 90+ % of hasty exits. Our house actually has a small alcove outside the front door and my mom (who didn't have cats) had a carpenter close it in and add a security door and vented side panel (basically 2 security doors but only one with a door knob). It is great when the doorbell rings. I can open the door, talk to the visitor and KNOW that no kitties will be exiting into adventures. It also gives me an extra measure of security when I don't KNOW the party at the door - NICE! Yes, it is a bit annoying to have to open 2 doors and 4 locks (each set has a doorknob lock and a deadbolt - all keyed alike) but when I bring home groceries or packages, I can swing the outer door open and leave it with the inner door closed... unload the car into the alcove, then close the outer door and open the inner one to bring my stuff in. I know this wouldn't work for some places - apartments, mobile homes, rentals, etc... but even an inexpensive screen door would help a lot to keep the cats indoors. Georgetta in So. Calif. with 20 kitties to keep safe (16 foster kittens and our gang of 4 felines) ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] Second Chance Meows - Personal experience
Dear List, I usually just lurk on this list, but I am a moderator for the Orphankittens yahoo list since I foster many neonatals each year for a So. California cat/kitten rescue. I can personally vouch for Michael at Second Chance Meows. I have met him, his family, and some of the 10 cats he is currently fosters in his private sanctuary. He is not at all wealthy, but he cares enough about the FeLV positive felines to be willing to be the home of the last resort. I firmly believe that any funds donated to help him in this worthy cause WILL NOT be WASTED or misused. Most of the kittens he takes into his care will not experience long lives, but their quality of life will be very good. They are not caged; they have full access to Michael's home once they have been acclimated to the new location. Michael will not do the extreme (and expensive) treatments to prolong life that I have seen posted here, but the cats and kittens get access to good food, human and other cat friends, vet care to mantain comfort and manage pain, lots of toys, and love and affection for the time they have left in this world. Here is a little bit of background of my experience. I had my first FeLV positive (confirmed) kitten early this year after 7 years of fostering kittens (over 200 total). It was before I started getting my 2010 bottle babies and I was able to keep Wisp isolated and carefully quarantined until I got her healthy enough to place in a sanctuary. I found Second Chance Meows Sanctuary through this Feline Leukemia yahoo group and was able to make contact with Michael, check a couple of references, then arrange placement for my little tabby girl Wisp with him. My husband and I drove from So. Calif. to Reno, NV on April 1, 2010, met Michael and his family - both human and feline members, and felt comfortable enough to leave Wisp there. He isn't independently wealthy and works hard for his living, but for personal reasons he and his family are dedicated to taking in FeLV positive cats and kittens and giving them a loving home until it is time to cross the rainbow bridge. He doesn't do a lot of extraordinary measures, but he does have several vets who work with him to keep his feline family members as healthy and comfortable as possible for as long as possible. If Wisp had remained at my house, she would have been caged/quarantined 24:7 and would have had NO other kittens to play with. I was able to foster over 80 kittens this year because Michael was willing to take Wisp. A few were short term, but most were with me from rescue to adoption and many were only a few days or weeks old. These kittens probably would have died if I had not been able to provide a safe foster home for them. If I had kept Wisp, I would have had to keep her in a cage away from over 50 climbing, exploring, curious, but vulnerable unvaccinated (for FeLV) kittens. It would not have been safe for the kittens or pleasant for Wisp. I believe I posted about Wisp in Feb or Mar. asking for input and assistance since I was being pressured to euth. her and got quite a few helpful responses to my inquiry. Since April, I have made several donations to Second Chance Meows (one pretty big one when Wisp was delivered) and feel strongly that the money is being well-spent. I recently sent $75 thru the chip-in link. I would have liked to have sent more, but I have several foster kittens with major health/injury issues that I haven't asked my rescue to cover since our donations are down too. Michael called me just a few days ago to let me know that Wisp's liver was failing. She had been healthy and happy for almost 7 months, but had recently shown symptoms that required a vet visit. He did not ask for immediate euth, instead taking her home for hospice so she could cross the Rainbow Bridge surrounded by her family. If I end up with another FeLV confirmed positive kitten again, I would not hesitate to contact Second Chance Meows for possible placement. Michael is limited in the number of cats/kittens he can hospice at any one time but the quality of care he provides to those few he takes in is superb! Georgetta Brickey www.CatsCradleRescue.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
[Felvtalk] FeLV misconceptions
Hi list, I think quite a few people get feline leukemia confused with panleukopenia. They sort of rhyme and may sound alike to the uninformed. Panleukopenia organisms DO persist for a very long time (years) in the environment unless very stringent measures are taken, including bleaching everything,etc. FeLV organisms are much more fragile and only survive more than a few minutes if the conditions are perfect, right temperature, moisture, etc. That is why unvaccinated cats can contract it through exchange of fluids (sex, fights, grooming) and to a lesser extent, from sharing litterboxes and water and food bowls. The Panleuk vaccine is extremely effective in confering immunity. The FeLV vaccine isn't quite as good but TONs better than doing nothing. There is an enormous amount of good information online about these and other conditions. This year I had my very first kitten in the 7 years of fostering kittens (200+) with a confirmed positive FeLV, followed later by another + kitten (both were isolated/quarantined at intake and the first was out of the house before the other arrived.) I spent quite a few hours searching and reading and learned amazing things from this list and from googling... and also found a great sanctuary for Wisp (Thanks a Trillion, Michael J!) here. The second kitten was transferred to another foster who combined 3 litters before getting each tested...not so good outcome... Lucky and another kitten from one of the combined litters were confirmed positive for FeLV and ended up at a wonderful sanctuary in SLO county. The other 4 kittens are now 6 months old and 2 are finally being shown for adoption (one got adopted today). The other 2 were adopted to a family who had no other cats and all 4 have re-tested negative repeatedly. It really reinforced the importance of TESTING BEFORE YOU MIX litters just my 2 cents... One question I have for the FeLV group - How young do you test for FeLV? I know there is the concern about maternal antibodies triggering a false positive, but if a Negative is really a Negative on the Snap (ELISA) test... shouldn't you be able to test pretty young/small kittens, provided you can draw the blood required? I know there might be a greater chance of a false positive, but taking the into account, you should be able to clear at a pretty young age, maybe 3-4 weeks? That way you could clear the negatives and relax a bit, then be supercareful to keep the + kittens in quarantine as long as necessary to clear or confirm! Any experience or insight would be greatly appreciated. (I am ccing to orphankittens and the feralcats groups for more input.) Thanks and good luck with your cats and kittens, Georgetta (back from today's PETCO adoptions - placed just 2 older kittens in 4 hours - neither were any of the 8 I took to show for adoption... sigh... wish me better luck tomorrow.) www.CatsCradleRescue.org ___ Felvtalk mailing list Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
