Re: Introduction and new cat question
Leslie... I feel for you. What I've come to realize is that you just know when that certain cat needs to come home with you. Everything else all falls to the side... the test results, the costs, the special needs... none of that really matters. Your heart tells you what your actions should be, all you have to do is listen to it. :) Phaewryn PS, Prozac works wonders for the grieving process, makes life bearable when you lose one. I take it for about 6 months after I lose a baby.. then taper myself off when I can go to sleep without crying every night or breaking down in the middle of a work day for several weeks straight. Antidepressants may not be for everyone, but in my case, I do what I have to do to go on. No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.7/410 - Release Date: 8/5/2006
RE: Introduction and new cat question
Title: Message PS, Prozac works wonders for the grieving process, makes life bearable when you lose one. I take it for about 6 months after I lose a baby.. then taper myself off when I can go to sleep without crying every night or breaking down in the middle of a work day for several weeks straight. Antidepressants may not be for everyone, but in my case, I do what I have to do to go on. I'm with you there. Whatever works, to keep functioning. IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP to be used and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed under U.S. tax law. If any person uses or refers to any such tax advice in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement to any taxpayer, then (i) the advice was written to support the promotion or marketing (by a person other than Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP) of that transaction or matter, and (ii) such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayers particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.
RE: Introduction and new cat question - My experience - sorry guys it's long
Thanks Belinda--I'm keeping this in a special folder for future ref! Kerry -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Belinda Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 8:28 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: Introduction and new cat question - My experience - sorry guys it's long Leslie, Negative cats can live with positive cats? I'd love to hear more about this from anyone that has/is successfully done it. To answer your question, I have over the course of the last 11 years mixed negatives and positives. Bailey joined us back in 1995, I had 3 cats at that time and they were all vaccinated and negative, when I found Bailey he was 5 months old and tested positive. I had him separated in his own room while I was trying to figure out how to convince hubby we were keeping him. My negatives at that time were Joey, 4 months old, Fred, about 4 years old, and Teenye, about 11 years old, all negative all vaccinated. I came home one day after having Bailey for about 5 months and couldn't find Joey, well the little stinker finally came out from under Bailey's bedroom door, he'd been sneaking in there playing with Bailey all along while I was at work. Well I didn't see any point in keeping them separate anymore, Joey had unknowingly exposed himself and everyone else for the last 5 months. I decided Bailey had found us for a reason and left everything to my faith in a higher power. I just lost Bailey on May 6th, 2006, 5 days after he turned 11 years old, he succumbed to pancreatic cancer which my vet say's mostly likely wasn't even related to his FeLV+ status, he was just unfortunate enough to get this type of cancer. In 11 years nobody ever got it from Bailey, all of my guys, ate, groomed, played, slept and on occasion had spats together. Joey and Bailey were very close and Joey so about 2 or 3 years ago I had him PCR (DNA) tested to be sure he wasn't positive and he wasn't, if anybody would have gotten it would have been him. Every year before vaccinations I had the negatives tested, everyone stayed negative. My vet wasn't in the least bit worried about them all living together, it's a well known fact to anyone that is knowledgeable about FeLV that it isn't as easy to catch as way too many vets who are NOT knowledgeable on FeLV will tell you. A healthy, adult, vaccinated cat has almost zero chance of getting it from a positive, and if they did their own immune system would almost certainly fight it off and they would turn negative. Kittens are alittle more susceptible but in my personal experience back in the 90's before I even know what FeLV was I had 5 cats all indoor, my then vet didn't tell me to vaccinate them for FeLV and being all indoor I wasn't too worried about it. Well long story short, come to find out 4 of my 5 were positive, Buddie whom I got at 8 weeks of age and she wasn't vaccinated for FeLV either at that time because at that time I didn't know I had any positives, she was the only one who tested negative when I did have them all tested. So this 8 week old unvaccinated kitten was around unknown positives all along and never got it. Teenye tested positive but turned negative and the other three I lost in a 15 month period to cancer and anemia. I don't know how many were positive when I got them because being naive back then and having a vet who wasn't very knowledgeable about it I never had any of them tested until one got sick. The current statistics say 1/3 of the positives will fight it off and be negative, I personally think that number is higher, because in my opinion many are never diagnosed, 1/3 will have it and be unsymptomatic for all or most of their lives, many of these in my opinion remain undiagnosed also, so people may have positives and never know it, and 1/3 may be sickly most of their lives and will eventually succumb to an opportunistic disease such as lymphoma, an anemia related illness, or something as simple as a severe URI, chronic herpes, or other viral infection that they just can't fight off. Of the last 1/3 that are sickly many will get it while very young, at birth or soon after birth. But as with anything there are exceptions to this rule also and Bailey is a testament to that, at 5 months he was already positive and who knows when he contracted it. He was healthy all his life until about the last year or so, his first problem was with his teeth, we fixed that and he was fine again until his last 5 months when he turned up anemic which we corrected, but we never could find the cancer we were sure he had. We didn't find it until he past and like I said my vet didn't think his positive status had anything to do with it, it wasn't a cancer that is associated or common with positives. ANY vet who suggests killing a cat simply because they test positive would NOT be touching any of my furkids, if they are that ignorant about
RE: Introduction and new cat question - My experience - sorry guys it's long
1/3 will have it and be unsymptomatic for all or most of their lives, many of these in my opinion remain undiagnosed also, so people may have positives and never know it How very true! Most cats are never tested and if they're never sick, for sure they're not tested. This is not a new virus and has been around forever--if it were all that lethal, there wouldn't be any cats left in this world! I'm afraid that the high mortality rates come from strays who are brought to vets already very sick and young kittens. These are the most vulnerable to begin with. Strays who really live on their own do not have a long life expectancy to begin with... Kittens, well sadly, there are so many things that can happen to them. So, as a 'mixer', I give my 5 guys lots of good food, love, a warm place and keep my fingers crossed that my two pos don't develop some of those cancers that FELV+ cats can be prone to. As for my 3 negs, I don't worry about them catching anything...they were exposed long before I knew that one of my pos was pos and didn't catch anything! Chris [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Belinda Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 9:28 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: Introduction and new cat question - My experience - sorry guys it's long Leslie, Negative cats can live with positive cats? I'd love to hear more about this from anyone that has/is successfully done it. To answer your question, I have over the course of the last 11 years mixed negatives and positives. Bailey joined us back in 1995, I had 3 cats at that time and they were all vaccinated and negative, when I found Bailey he was 5 months old and tested positive. I had him separated in his own room while I was trying to figure out how to convince hubby we were keeping him. My negatives at that time were Joey, 4 months old, Fred, about 4 years old, and Teenye, about 11 years old, all negative all vaccinated. I came home one day after having Bailey for about 5 months and couldn't find Joey, well the little stinker finally came out from under Bailey's bedroom door, he'd been sneaking in there playing with Bailey all along while I was at work. Well I didn't see any point in keeping them separate anymore, Joey had unknowingly exposed himself and everyone else for the last 5 months. I decided Bailey had found us for a reason and left everything to my faith in a higher power. I just lost Bailey on May 6th, 2006, 5 days after he turned 11 years old, he succumbed to pancreatic cancer which my vet say's mostly likely wasn't even related to his FeLV+ status, he was just unfortunate enough to get this type of cancer. In 11 years nobody ever got it from Bailey, all of my guys, ate, groomed, played, slept and on occasion had spats together. Joey and Bailey were very close and Joey so about 2 or 3 years ago I had him PCR (DNA) tested to be sure he wasn't positive and he wasn't, if anybody would have gotten it would have been him. Every year before vaccinations I had the negatives tested, everyone stayed negative. My vet wasn't in the least bit worried about them all living together, it's a well known fact to anyone that is knowledgeable about FeLV that it isn't as easy to catch as way too many vets who are NOT knowledgeable on FeLV will tell you. A healthy, adult, vaccinated cat has almost zero chance of getting it from a positive, and if they did their own immune system would almost certainly fight it off and they would turn negative. Kittens are alittle more susceptible but in my personal experience back in the 90's before I even know what FeLV was I had 5 cats all indoor, my then vet didn't tell me to vaccinate them for FeLV and being all indoor I wasn't too worried about it. Well long story short, come to find out 4 of my 5 were positive, Buddie whom I got at 8 weeks of age and she wasn't vaccinated for FeLV either at that time because at that time I didn't know I had any positives, she was the only one who tested negative when I did have them all tested. So this 8 week old unvaccinated kitten was around unknown positives all along and never got it. Teenye tested positive but turned negative and the other three I lost in a 15 month period to cancer and anemia. I don't know how many were positive when I got them because being naive back then and having a vet who wasn't very knowledgeable about it I never had any of them tested until one got sick. The current statistics say 1/3 of the positives will fight it off and be negative, I personally think that number is higher, because in my opinion many are never diagnosed, 1/3 will have it and be unsymptomatic for all or most of their lives, many of these in my opinion remain undiagnosed also, so people may have positives and never know it, and 1/3 may be sickly most of their lives and will eventually succumb to an opportunistic disease
To Leslie Re: Introduction and new cat question
Hey Leslie, You're right, the FeLV vaccinations aren't 100% effective. I think it's more like 80% or so; not sure. But the vaccinations, coupled with the fact that FeLV is NOT easy to spread, makes for a good combination when mixing pos's and neg's. My cats (3; one very geriatric) lived with my Cricket for four years, and I didn't know he had FeLV for the first two years, so they weren't vaccinated then. None of the 3 have FeLV now, and Cricket has been gone for 9 months. Many people here mix too. So I am big believer in mixing. :) Wendy __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: Introduction and new cat question - My experience - sorry guys it's l...
Very well said! In a message dated 8/3/2006 6:30:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Leslie, Negative cats can live with positive cats? I'd love to hear more about this from anyone that has/is successfully done it.To answer your question, I have over the course of the last 11 years mixed negatives and positives. Bailey joined us back in 1995, I had 3 cats at that time and they were all vaccinated and negative, when I found Bailey he was 5 months old and tested positive. I had him separated in his own room while I was trying to figure out how to convince hubby we were keeping him. My negatives at that time were Joey, 4 months old, Fred, about 4 years old, and Teenye, about 11 years old, all negative all vaccinated. I came home one day after having Bailey for about 5 months and couldn't find Joey, well the little stinker finally came out from under Bailey's bedroom door, he'd been sneaking in there playing with Bailey all along while I was at work. Well I didn't see any point in keeping them separate anymore, Joey had unknowingly exposed himself and everyone else for the last 5 months. I decided Bailey had found us for a reason and left everything to my faith in a higher power.I just lost Bailey on May 6th, 2006, 5 days after he turned 11 years old, he succumbed to pancreatic cancer which my vet say's mostly likely wasn't even related to his FeLV+ status, he was just unfortunate enough to get this type of cancer. In 11 years nobody ever got it from Bailey, all of my guys, ate, groomed, played, slept and on occasion had spats together. Joey and Bailey were very close and Joey so about 2 or 3 years ago I had him PCR (DNA) tested to be sure he wasn't positive and he wasn't, if anybody would have gotten it would have been him. Every year before vaccinations I had the negatives tested, everyone stayed negative. My vet wasn't in the least bit worried about them all living together, it's a well known fact to anyone that is knowledgeable about FeLV that it isn't as easy to catch as way too many vets who are NOT knowledgeable on FeLV will tell you. A healthy, adult, vaccinated cat has almost zero chance of getting it from a positive, and if they did their own immune system would almost certainly fight it off and they would turn negative.Kittens are alittle more susceptible but in my personal experience back in the 90's before I even know what FeLV was I had 5 cats all indoor, my then vet didn't tell me to vaccinate them for FeLV and being all indoor I wasn't too worried about it. Well long story short, come to find out 4 of my 5 were positive, Buddie whom I got at 8 weeks of age and she wasn't vaccinated for FeLV either at that time because at that time I didn't know I had any positives, she was the only one who tested negative when I did have them all tested. So this 8 week old unvaccinated kitten was around unknown positives all along and never got it. Teenye tested positive but turned negative and the other three I lost in a 15 month period to cancer and anemia. I don't know how many were positive when I got them because being naive back then and having a vet who wasn't very knowledgeable about it I never had any of them tested until one got sick.The current statistics say 1/3 of the positives will fight it off and be negative, I personally think that number is higher, because in my opinion many are never diagnosed, 1/3 will have it and be unsymptomatic for all or most of their lives, many of these in my opinion remain undiagnosed also, so people may have positives and never know it, and 1/3 may be sickly most of their lives and will eventually succumb to an opportunistic disease such as lymphoma, an anemia related illness, or something as simple as a severe URI, chronic herpes, or other viral infection that they just can't fight off. Of the last 1/3 that are sickly many will get it while very young, at birth or soon after birth.But as with anything there are exceptions to this rule also and Bailey is a testament to that, at 5 months he was already positive and who knows when he contracted it. He was healthy all his life until about the last year or so, his first problem was with his teeth, we fixed that and he was fine again until his last 5 months when he turned up anemic which we corrected, but we never could find the cancer we were sure he had. We didn't find it until he past and like I said my vet didn't think his positive status had anything to do with it, it wasn't a cancer that is associated or common with positives.ANY vet who suggests killing a cat simply because they test positive would NOT be touching any of my furkids, if they are that ignorant about the virus, who knows how ignorant they are about other things??-- Belindahappiness is being owned by cats ...Be-Mi-Kittieshttp://bemikitties.comPost Adoptable FeLV/FIV/FIP Cats/Kittenshttp://adopt.bemikitties.comFeLV Candlelight Servicehttp://bemikitties.com/clsHostDesign4U.com [affordable hosting web
Re: Introduction and new cat question
Hey Leslie, Not a weird question at all. I think if you can handle the stress yourself if you lost any more and you know Satchmo would love another friend, then adopting would be right. Only you can know if you can keep giving of yourself. I have about 9 negatives, so adopting a positive right now is not in the cards, but in the future I don't think I'd be opposed to it if I had less negatives, no immune compromised (I have 2 right now), and no geriatrics (have 3). What a wonderful person you are to help these babies!!! :) Wendy Dallas, TX __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
RE: Introduction and new cat question
Title: Message Leslie, I just looked atyour pic---you are right---Trixie is extremely cute---completely adorable! I have a Trixie too (usually called Trixie Pixie). ReWhat I wonder is, if I lost Satch, would I adopt another FeLV+ cat?I can totally see why you're asking yourself the question--I would, too--but of course there's no way to answer it now.We can't knownow what we'd do in the future, and that's if the question is still valid then anyway. (I began the process of looking for another young positive when all Mickey's siblings passed; then it occurred to me--what if by some miracle he tests negative? Which of course he did!) Something else to consider: vaccinating your negatives, and integrating all, something many far-more-experienced-than-mefolks on the list do without repercussion. I always held back because of the associated sarcoma risk of the FeLV vaccine. However there is now a new, reportedly safer vaccine by Merial. In May, there was a week's interval between Mickey and then Momcat's re-test. During that time, I decided that if by some horrible twist of fate the previously negative Momcat (she shared everything with all the postives) had become pos, I was now going to vaccinate all my other, neg, cats and integrate her anyway. As she has remained neg, I haven't had to do that. Just another avenue to consider! No, I did nothing special for Mickey that the others did not get. They all got the supplements recommended by Anitra Frazier, filtered water, human Interferon (tho because they're feral not possible to administer it the way it shouldbe done), high quality food (Petguard/Wellness) and medical intervention when required. I guess it was the luck of the draw that he threw it off while the others could not. Keep us posted on your decision! Kerry From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of LeslieSent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 6:32 PMTo: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.orgSubject: RE: Introduction and new cat question Kerry, Thank you so much for your thoughts. You are right, to have a support group would make a big difference. What I wonder is, if I lost Satch, would I adopt another FeLV+ cat? I like taking in the hard-to-adopt animals, because it does feel so good, so I think that I might, but I'm not sure - a support system would be a big change in this.My Humane Society is no kill, so I don't feel like I need to rescue this kitten, which is nice, they do an excellent job of finding homes for their animals. But just take a look at her: http://www.oregonhumane.org/cats/detail.asp?animalID=45154 What a cutie! :) Andhow wonderful about the retest, Kerry!!! Did you follow a course of treatment toobtain this result? If you've already discussed publicly, please send me the archived conversation, I'd love to read it. As I've said privatelyin thanking those others who've responded, I'm really thrilled to have found this group! Leslie --Message: 2Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 16:25:10 -0500From: "MacKenzie, Kerry N." [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: RE: Introduction and new cat questionTo: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"Welcome Leslie! It's good to have you on board, although I'm sorry forthe reason you've had to find us.I think you just answered your own question. I think the capacity for heartbreak and pain that often accompanies acommitment to our little FeLV souls varies according to the individual(I say "often", by the way, because quite a few members have FeLV positives that are a ripe old age, and happily still going strong). Ihave been humbled and amazed and inspired in turn by the sheerdedication of so many of the wonderful people on this list to thewelfare of cats in need. Many--most?--of them have suffered heartbreak over and over again but somehow gather the strength to keep going, to dowhatever they can for cats in need. I know I could not have got throughlosing so many---4 sweet positives, 2 of whom I lost one after another on the same awful day, and months later, a darling CRF cat, who I had"fostered-for-life" in the meantime--without the support of the group. Iknow that I'll lose more (unless I go first!); but I feel I'll get through it. Knowing I can perhaps do a little to help improve thequality of life of a cat that is totally dependent on me has so faroutweighed any inclination I may have had to protect myself from furthergrief. But, I have to add that for me, at any rate, it would have been much, much harder without the tremendous support of this group.We'll be here for you, too.My positives all enjoyed each other's company for the short time (18months - 2 years) that they had, and I know that having each other added to their quality of life. I have scores of photos of them playing andcuddling up together which make me smile now, even though they're
Re: Introduction and new cat question
Hi, Maggie, when you suggest getting an older cat, I am on board with that, that is a good idea. I know that kittens are more susceptible, but you always hope, don't you? :) So Trixie now has a littermate with her at the Humane Society, one that show that they have Manx in them, because she has just a little puff where there would normally be a tail. I went and visited them today and they are so cute and active, go, go, go the whole time. That is something that I want for Satch because he is so rambunctious. But now that there are two of these girls, I really hope that they can get adopted together. Maybe I'll wait and see if they can find them a home together and if not, I'll rescue the one that wasn't chosen. I like adopting adult cats anyway, because their personalities are more formed. And Kerry, that is fascinating what you suggest. Negative cats can live with positive cats?I'd love to hear more about this from anyone that has/is successfully done it. I know that leukemia vaccinations exist, butI didn't think that they were that strong. I'll ask my vet about both Interferon and Merial, I see her next Wednesday.That's really fascinating. Thank you so much for your input, Leslie
Introduction and new cat question
Hello, My name is Leslie. My cat's name is Satchmo. He's 6 years old, I adopted him at 5 years old knowing that he had feline leukemia. My question is about adopting him a friend. Now the background. Four years ago I adopted Sushi, a 2 yr old DSH that had been rescued from a house full of cats. She had been tested for everything in the shelter and came back negative. A month after having her, she got lethargic, I took her to the vet, she was retested and the test came back positive for FeLV. I was devastated, but she already had my heart so completely that returning her wasn't even considered, and she was doing great, actually. Great coat, very spunky, I started researching how to keep her around as long as possible. And on this optimistic vein, I decided to adopt another FeLV+ cat to keep her company, Hepburn, a 10-month old kitten that had had some health issues, but had been nursed back to health by the vet. Eight months after adopting Hepburn, Sushi passed on from a myocardial infarction, the vet guessed. I was heartbroken. Four months later, I adopted Hepburn a friend.Where Sushi was mischeivious, Hepburn was sweet. She was a cat that rewarded you for being quiet and giving her time. The new addition, Satchmo, was a five year old brown tabbywith the mannersof a dumptruck, but the charm to make you laugh instead of scream. Again, a few months later, Hep took a turn for the worse, appetite gone, the vet not being able to pin it on a specific infection. We'd fought this off once before, but this time instead of getting better, she jaundiced and her belly swelled up. She was diagnosed with FIP. Again, I was just crushed to lose her. Now, nearly ayear later, I have this wonderful cat, Satch,who loves other animals and has so much life in him. Hegets sneezy every few months, but fights it back. He is on a vet-approved raw diet and Feline Immune Support. His coat is beautiful, his eyes clear, he's a very happy guy. I really do believe that cats benefit from being in pairs, but I'm soscared to getanother just to lose the first. I volunteer at the Humane Society here in Portland (a really fantastic organization) and there is a 2 month old kitten who is FeLV+. She's in good health so far...and I've been tempted to adopt more at this point than before in the year since Hep passed. What do you all think? Do youadopt another? Can you keep giving of yourselves? This is a weird question, I know, but any advice you might have would be appreciated. Thank you, Leslie
Re: Introduction and new cat question
If I could financially afford it then yes, I would take another. Welcome to the group!tonyaLeslie [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Hello, My name is Leslie. My cat's name is Satchmo. He's 6 years old, I adopted him at 5 years old knowing that he had feline leukemia. My question is about adopting him a friend.Now the background. Four years ago I adopted Sushi, a 2 yr old DSH that had been rescued from a house full of cats. She had been tested for everything in the shelter and came back negative. A month after having her, she got lethargic, I took her to the vet, she was retested and the test came back positive for FeLV. I was devastated, but she already had my heart so completely that returning her wasn't even considered, and she was doing great, actually. Great coat, very spunky, I started researching how to keep her around as long as possible. And on this optimistic vein, I decided to adopt another FeLV+ cat to keep her company, Hepburn, a 10-month old kitten that had had some health issues, but had been nursed back to health by the vet. Eight months after adopting Hepburn, Sushi passed on from a myocardial infarction, the vet guessed. I was heartbroken.Four months later, I adopted Hepburn a friend.Where Sushi was mischeivious, Hepburn was sweet. She was a cat that rewarded you for being quiet and giving her time. The new addition, Satchmo, was a five year old brown tabbywith the mannersof a dumptruck, but the charm to make you laugh instead of scream. Again, a few months later, Hep took a turn for the worse, appetite gone, the vet not being able to pin it on a specific infection. We'd fought this off once before, but this time instead of getting better, she jaundiced and her belly swelled up. She was diagnosed with FIP. Again, I was just crushed to lose her.Now, nearly ayear later, I have this wonderful cat, Satch,who loves other animals and has so much life in him. Hegets sneezy every few months, but fights it back. He is on a vet-approved raw diet and Feline Immune Support. His coat is beautiful, his eyes clear, he's a very happy guy. I really do believe that cats benefit from being in pairs, but I'm soscared to getanother just to lose the first. I volunteer at the Humane Society here in Portland (a really fantastic organization) and there is a 2 month old kitten who is FeLV+. She's in good health so far...and I've been tempted to adopt more at this point than before in the year since Hep passed. What do you all think? Do youadopt another? Can you keep giving of yourselves? This is a weird question, I know, but any advice you might have would be appreciated. Thank you, Leslie
Re: Introduction and new cat question
It's great to have you on this group! Best group of people around as you will find out in time. I'm in WA. myself. The Humane Society you volunteer at is one of the few I have respect for because they genuinely care about the animals. I have worked with them in the past on Siamese at the shelter. Well, only you can make the decision on whether you want ot bring another furbaby into your home. Personally, I would.it's the chance you have to take whether they are healthy or not. I would hope they give you a discount or for free on the kitten since she did test Felv+ that in time your going to have extra expenses for special meds to increase the quality of life for her. There aren't many rescues in OR that will take a positive baby. I'm not aware of any at this time that are taking any. No, it's not a weird question to ask! In a message dated 8/1/2006 1:27:37 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I volunteer at the Humane Society here in Portland (a really fantastic organization) and there is a 2 month old kitten who is FeLV+. She's in good health so far...and I've been tempted to adopt more at this point than before in the year since Hep passed. What do you all think? Do youadopt another? Can you keep giving of yourselves? This is a weird question, I know, but any advice you might have would be appreciated. Thank you, Leslie Terrie Mohr-ForkerTAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTSSIAMESE COLLIE RESCUEOwner/DriverCheck sites for available Siameses for adoption!http://www.tazzys-siameses-collies.petfinder.org/Click Here to Join WASHINGTON SIAMESE RESCUE Yahoo Group!http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wasiameserescuehttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNOHOMISH_COUNTY_PETS_in_WAhttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/index.htmlhttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/myhomepage/petmemorial.htmlPetfinder.comAdopt a Homeless Pet!http://www.petfinder.com/http://www.felineleukemia.org/http://www.petloss.com/TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTShttps://www.paypal.com/http://www.frappr.com/wasiameserescue
Re: Introduction and new cat question
Oh Leslie, have you ever found the right group of people!! We so get the my heart expands until it feels like it's going to explode thing! What can I tell you that you don't already know? Adopting these angels, giving them a chance at life and love in a caring environment, isn't that what it's all about? Yes, it hurts when their time comes, yes we think we'll never recover, but somehow we do. Somehow we realize that loving them and losing them, no matter how heart wrenching that is, is worth it for the joy and happiness they bring. It's all the same coin, my dear. No one can tell you how much your heart can bear, but I know mine just keeps expanding, it hasn't exploded yet! Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be the right decision for you and for Satchmo, (and if you go get that baby, it will definitely be the right one for her!). Welcome to the list, you sure do sound like one of us! Nina Leslie wrote: Hello, My name is Leslie. My cat's name is Satchmo. He's 6 years old, I adopted him at 5 years old knowing that he had feline leukemia. My question is about adopting him a friend. Now the background. Four years ago I adopted Sushi, a 2 yr old DSH that had been rescued from a house full of cats. She had been tested for everything in the shelter and came back negative. A month after having her, she got lethargic, I took her to the vet, she was retested and the test came back positive for FeLV. I was devastated, but she already had my heart so completely that returning her wasn't even considered, and she was doing great, actually. Great coat, very spunky, I started researching how to keep her around as long as possible. And on this optimistic vein, I decided to adopt another FeLV+ cat to keep her company, Hepburn, a 10-month old kitten that had had some health issues, but had been nursed back to health by the vet. Eight months after adopting Hepburn, Sushi passed on from a myocardial infarction, the vet guessed. I was heartbroken. Four months later, I adopted Hepburn a friend. Where Sushi was mischeivious, Hepburn was sweet. She was a cat that rewarded you for being quiet and giving her time. The new addition, Satchmo, was a five year old brown tabby with the manners of a dumptruck, but the charm to make you laugh instead of scream. Again, a few months later, Hep took a turn for the worse, appetite gone, the vet not being able to pin it on a specific infection. We'd fought this off once before, but this time instead of getting better, she jaundiced and her belly swelled up. She was diagnosed with FIP. Again, I was just crushed to lose her. Now, nearly a year later, I have this wonderful cat, Satch, who loves other animals and has so much life in him. He gets sneezy every few months, but fights it back. He is on a vet-approved raw diet and Feline Immune Support. His coat is beautiful, his eyes clear, he's a very happy guy. I really do believe that cats benefit from being in pairs, but I'm so scared to get another just to lose the first. I volunteer at the Humane Society here in Portland (a really fantastic organization) and there is a 2 month old kitten who is FeLV+. She's in good health so far...and I've been tempted to adopt more at this point than before in the year since Hep passed. What do you all think? Do you adopt another? Can you keep giving of yourselves? This is a weird question, I know, but any advice you might have would be appreciated. Thank you, Leslie
RE: Introduction and new cat question
Title: Message Welcome Leslie! It's good to have you on board, although I'm sorry for the reason you've had to find us. I think you just answered your own question. I think the capacity for heartbreak and pain that often accompanies a commitment to our little FeLV souls varies accordingto the individual(I say "often", by the way, because quite a few members have FeLVpositives that are a ripe old age, and happily still going strong). I have been humbled and amazed and inspired in turn by the sheer dedication of so many of the wonderful people on this list to the welfare of cats in need. Many--most?--ofthem have suffered heartbreak over and over again but somehow gather the strength to keep going, to do whatever they can for cats in need. I know I could not have got through losing so many---4 sweet positives, 2 of whom I lost one after another on the same awful day, and months later,a darling CRF cat, who I had "fostered-for-life" in the meantime--without the support of the group. I know that I'll lose more (unless I go first!); but I feel I'll get through it. Knowing I can perhaps do a little to help improve the quality of life of a cat that is totally dependent on me has so far outweighed any inclination I may have hadto protect myself from further grief. But, I have to add that for me, at any rate, it would have been much, muchharder without the tremendous support of this group. We'll be here for you, too. My positives all enjoyed each other's company for the short time (18 months - 2 years) that they had, and I know that having each other added to their quality of life. I have scores ofphotos of them playing and cuddling up together which make me smile now, even though they're no longer physically with me. I'd say, go for it! And welcome again! Kerry PS On an even happier note, when I retested the 5th (and only remaining) kitten of the original colony of 6, he tested negative---he's thrown off the virus. Yes, that can happen too. I didn't really believe it until I saw it for myself. -Original Message-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of LeslieSent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 3:26 PMTo: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.orgSubject: Introduction and new cat question Hello, My name is Leslie. My cat's name is Satchmo. He's 6 years old, I adopted him at 5 years old knowing that he had feline leukemia. My question is about adopting him a friend. Now the background. Four years ago I adopted Sushi, a 2 yr old DSH that had been rescued from a house full of cats. She had been tested for everything in the shelter and came back negative. A month after having her, she got lethargic, I took her to the vet, she was retested and the test came back positive for FeLV. I was devastated, but she already had my heart so completely that returning her wasn't even considered, and she was doing great, actually. Great coat, very spunky, I started researching how to keep her around as long as possible. And on this optimistic vein, I decided to adopt another FeLV+ cat to keep her company, Hepburn, a 10-month old kitten that had had some health issues, but had been nursed back to health by the vet. Eight months after adopting Hepburn, Sushi passed on from a myocardial infarction, the vet guessed. I was heartbroken. Four months later, I adopted Hepburn a friend.Where Sushi was mischeivious, Hepburn was sweet. She was a cat that rewarded you for being quiet and giving her time. The new addition, Satchmo, was a five year old brown tabbywith the mannersof a dumptruck, but the charm to make you laugh instead of scream. Again, a few months later, Hep took a turn for the worse, appetite gone, the vet not being able to pin it on a specific infection. We'd fought this off once before, but this time instead of getting better, she jaundiced and her belly swelled up. She was diagnosed with FIP. Again, I was just crushed to lose her. Now, nearly ayear later, I have this wonderful cat, Satch,who loves other animals and has so much life in him. Hegets sneezy every few months, but fights it back. He is on a vet-approved raw diet and Feline Immune Support. His coat is beautiful, his eyes clear, he's a very happy guy. I really do believe that cats benefit from being in pairs, but I'm soscared to getanother just to lose the first. I volunteer at the Humane Society here in Portland (a really fantastic organization) and there is a 2 month old kitten who is FeLV+. She's in good health so far...and I've been tempted to adopt more at this point than before in the year since Hep passed. What do you all think? Do youadopt another? Can you keep giving of yourselves? This is a weird question, I know, but any advice you might have would be appreciated. Thank you, Leslie IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe Maw LLP to be use
Re: Introduction and new cat question
Kerry that was very well said! That's great news about the final kitten! In a message dated 8/1/2006 2:26:12 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Welcome Leslie! It's good to have you on board, although I'm sorry for the reason you've had to find us. I think you just answered your own question. I think the capacity for heartbreak and pain that often accompanies a commitment to our little FeLV souls varies accordingto the individual(I say "often", by the way, because quite a few members have FeLVpositives that are a ripe old age, and happily still going strong). I have been humbled and amazed and inspired in turn by the sheer dedication of so many of the wonderful people on this list to the welfare of cats in need. Many--most?--ofthem have suffered heartbreak over and over again but somehow gather the strength to keep going, to do whatever they can for cats in need. I know I could not have got through losing so many---4 sweet positives, 2 of whom I lost one after another on the same awful day, and months later,a darling CRF cat, who I had "fostered-for-life" in the meantime--without the support of the group. I know that I'll lose more (unless I go first!); but I feel I'll get through it. Knowing I can perhaps do a little to help improve the quality of life of a cat that is totally dependent on me has so far outweighed any inclination I may have hadto protect myself from further grief. But, I have to add that for me, at any rate, it would have been much, muchharder without the tremendous support of this group. We'll be here for you, too. My positives all enjoyed each other's company for the short time (18 months - 2 years) that they had, and I know that having each other added to their quality of life. I have scores ofphotos of them playing and cuddling up together which make me smile now, even though they're no longer physically with me. I'd say, go for it! And welcome again! Kerry PS On an even happier note, when I retested the 5th (and only remaining) kitten of the original colony of 6, he tested negative---he's thrown off the virus. Yes, that can happen too. I didn't really believe it until I saw it for myself. Terrie Mohr-ForkerTAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTSSIAMESE COLLIE RESCUEOwner/DriverCheck sites for available Siameses for adoption!http://www.tazzys-siameses-collies.petfinder.org/Click Here to Join WASHINGTON SIAMESE RESCUE Yahoo Group!http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wasiameserescuehttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNOHOMISH_COUNTY_PETS_in_WAhttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/index.htmlhttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/myhomepage/petmemorial.htmlPetfinder.comAdopt a Homeless Pet!http://www.petfinder.com/http://www.felineleukemia.org/http://www.petloss.com/TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTShttps://www.paypal.com/http://www.frappr.com/wasiameserescue
Re: Introduction and new cat question
Amen to that, Nina! Welcome Leslie! And welcome to all the other new members I missed this past week! Craziness here for me! Terri in NJ =^..^= Terri, Siggie the Tomato Vampire, Guinevere, Sammi, Travis, Dori and 6 furangels: RuthieGirl, Samantha, Arielle, Gareth, Alec Salome' =^..^= Cool Catholic Stuff! Click Here -- www.TotallyCatholic.com/Theresa Furkid Photos! http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7sgqa/My Personal Page: http://www.geocities.com/ruthiegirl1/terrispage.html?1083970447350Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/terricrazycatlady - Original Message - From: Nina To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 4:57 PM Subject: Re: Introduction and new cat question Oh Leslie, have you ever found the right group of people!! We so get the "my heart expands until it feels like it's going to explode" thing! What can I tell you that you don't already know? Adopting these angels, giving them a chance at life and love in a caring environment, isn't that what it's all about? Yes, it hurts when their time comes, yes we think we'll never recover, but somehow we do. Somehow we realize that loving them and losing them, no matter how heart wrenching that is, is worth it for the joy and happiness they bring. It's all the same coin, my dear. No one can tell you how much your heart can bear, but I know mine just keeps expanding, it hasn't exploded yet! Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be the right decision for you and for Satchmo, (and if you go get that baby, it will definitely be the right one for her!). Welcome to the list, you sure do sound like one of us!NinaLeslie wrote: Hello, My name is Leslie. My cat's name is Satchmo. He's 6 years old, I adopted him at 5 years old knowing that he had feline leukemia. My question is about adopting him a friend. Now the background. Four years ago I adopted Sushi, a 2 yr old DSH that had been rescued from a house full of cats. She had been tested for everything in the shelter and came back negative. A month after having her, she got lethargic, I took her to the vet, she was retested and the test came back positive for FeLV. I was devastated, but she already had my heart so completely that returning her wasn't even considered, and she was doing great, actually. Great coat, very spunky, I started researching how to keep her around as long as possible. And on this optimistic vein, I decided to adopt another FeLV+ cat to keep her company, Hepburn, a 10-month old kitten that had had some health issues, but had been nursed back to health by the vet. Eight months after adopting Hepburn, Sushi passed on from a myocardial infarction, the vet guessed. I was heartbroken. Four months later, I adopted Hepburn a friend. Where Sushi was mischeivious, Hepburn was sweet. She was a cat that rewarded you for being quiet and giving her time. The new addition, Satchmo, was a five year old brown tabby with the manners of a dumptruck, but the charm to make you laugh instead of scream. Again, a few months later, Hep took a turn for the worse, appetite gone, the vet not being able to pin it on a specific infection. We'd fought this off once before, but this time instead of getting better, she jaundiced and her belly swelled up. She was diagnosed with FIP. Again, I was just crushed to lose her. Now, nearly a year later, I have this wonderful cat, Satch, who loves other animals and has so much life in him. He gets sneezy every few months, but fights it back. He is on a vet-approved raw diet and Feline Immune Support. His coat is beautiful, his eyes clear, he's a very happy guy. I really do believe that cats benefit from being in pairs, but I'm so scared to get another just to lose the first. I volunteer at the Humane Society here in Portland (a really fantastic organization) and there is a 2 month old kitten who is FeLV+. She's in good health so far...and I've been tempted to adopt more at this point than before in the year since Hep passed. What do you all think? Do you adopt another? Can you keep giving of yourselves? This is a weird question, I know, but any advice you might have would be appreciated. Thank you, Leslie
RE: Introduction and new cat question
Kerry, Thank you so much for your thoughts. You are right, to have a support group would make a big difference. What I wonder is, if I lost Satch, would I adopt another FeLV+ cat? I like taking in the hard-to-adopt animals, because it does feel so good, so I think that I might, but I'm not sure - a support system would be a big change in this.My Humane Society is no kill, so I don't feel like I need to rescue this kitten, which is nice, they do an excellent job of finding homes for their animals. But just take a look at her: http://www.oregonhumane.org/cats/detail.asp?animalID=45154 What a cutie! :) Andhow wonderful about the retest, Kerry!!! Did you follow a course of treatment toobtain this result? If you've already discussed publicly, please send me the archived conversation, I'd love to read it. As I've said privatelyin thanking those others who've responded, I'm really thrilled to have found this group! Leslie --Message: 2Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 16:25:10 -0500From: MacKenzie, Kerry N. [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: RE: Introduction and new cat questionTo: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-asciiWelcome Leslie! It's good to have you on board, although I'm sorry forthe reason you've had to find us.I think you just answered your own question. I think the capacity for heartbreak and pain that often accompanies acommitment to our little FeLV souls varies according to the individual(I say often, by the way, because quite a few members have FeLV positives that are a ripe old age, and happily still going strong). Ihave been humbled and amazed and inspired in turn by the sheerdedication of so many of the wonderful people on this list to thewelfare of cats in need. Many--most?--of them have suffered heartbreak over and over again but somehow gather the strength to keep going, to dowhatever they can for cats in need. I know I could not have got throughlosing so many---4 sweet positives, 2 of whom I lost one after another on the same awful day, and months later, a darling CRF cat, who I hadfostered-for-life in the meantime--without the support of the group. Iknow that I'll lose more (unless I go first!); but I feel I'll get through it. Knowing I can perhaps do a little to help improve thequality of life of a cat that is totally dependent on me has so faroutweighed any inclination I may have had to protect myself from furthergrief. But, I have to add that for me, at any rate, it would have been much, much harder without the tremendous support of this group.We'll be here for you, too.My positives all enjoyed each other's company for the short time (18months - 2 years) that they had, and I know that having each other added to their quality of life. I have scores of photos of them playing andcuddling up together which make me smile now, even though they're nolonger physically with me.I'd say, go for it!And welcome again! Kerry PS On an even happier note, when I retested the 5th (and onlyremaining) kitten of the original colony of 6, he tested negative---he'sthrown off the virus. Yes, that can happen too. I didn't really believe it until I saw it for myself.
Re: Introduction and new cat question
Yes, she is a doll! She looks like my Torti named "Buggy" if you like to see a photo of her let me know I can send a photo to you or anyone. She was a rescue too at the age of 5 weeks old. I've had her for 4 yrs now. Terrie Mohr-ForkerTAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTSSIAMESE COLLIE RESCUEOwner/DriverCheck sites for available Siameses for adoption!http://www.tazzys-siameses-collies.petfinder.org/Click Here to Join WASHINGTON SIAMESE RESCUE Yahoo Group!http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wasiameserescuehttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/SNOHOMISH_COUNTY_PETS_in_WAhttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/index.htmlhttp://hometown.aol.com/tatorbunz/myhomepage/petmemorial.htmlPetfinder.comAdopt a Homeless Pet!http://www.petfinder.com/http://www.felineleukemia.org/http://www.petloss.com/TAZZY'S ANIMAL TRANSPORTShttps://www.paypal.com/http://www.frappr.com/wasiameserescue
Re: cat question (from [EMAIL PROTECTED])
I'd agree with spaying the FELV kitty, and that's what I've done. I took in a little 8 month old FELV kitty who was pregnant, and my choice was to have her spayed. She came thru it with flying colors. I give my FELV kitties daily interferon, to boost the immune system. Gloria On Dec 15, 2005, at 11:51 AM, wendy wrote: Janet, I have to agree with everything that Nina said. Having the cat spayed would probably be the humane thing to do. My cat Cricket was born with Feline Leukemia; his mother had it. I would like to urge you to consider keeping this cat if you are at all attached to it, and caring for it yourself. FELV+ positive is not necessarily a death sentence; many cats throw off the virus after they've been exposed, expecially those with good health care and a lot of love. FELV+ cats are hard to place, and many times, are euthanised because a lot of vets recommend it. But we do not agree with this policy. These kitties deserve a happy life being loved just as much as a cat that isn't FELV+. Cricket lived 4 and a half years, and probably would have lived longer had he not been stressed out by a house full of Hurricane Rita evacuees for a week, when the virus kicked in and he became anemic. Because he was born FELV+, his life expectancy was a lot less than he actually lived. Many kittens die by 6 months because their immune systems are so weak, and even more by two years old. No one can make this decision for you, but learn a little more before you make the decision and I wish you luck. Let us know what you decide. I'll keep you in my prayers. :) Wendy --- Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Janet, As Terri and Tonya have already mentioned, many of us mix adult negs that have been vaccinated with pos. It's a judgement call and of course no matter what our success rate in doing this is, there's no safer protection for your elderly cat than to not mix them together. That's what most vets will tell you. Being that your current kitty is older, I might not mix them together either. That said, if I were in this situation, I'd figure God sent her to me for a reason and I'd personally dive in with both feet and do whatever I could to save her and her kittens. I am all too familiar with the heartache involved with pos kittens. My experience with felv came when my husband and I found a box of kittens that were just 2.5 weeks old. Because they were so young, I assume the mother succumbed to felv from the stress of having them and the people who abandoned them didn't know how to care for them. Why else would they take them from their mother at that age? We lost 2 of our babies when they were about 6 mos old and two more before their 2nd birthday. The other two are doing fine and are reaching 2.5 yrs. Their lives were filled with love and concern and I'm not a bit sorry that I made the commitment to try and save them. Janet, you have some tough decisions ahead of you. You don't know me, so you might think I'm a monster for even bringing this up, but given what you've said in your post... It's going to be hard enough to place the mother, if she's healthy. I can't say what I would do in your place. I'm not you and I have no idea what you have to contend with. If someone steps up very quickly to adopt her, knowing she's pregnant, well that's a different story altogether. If you just found out she's pregnant, I'm supposing she's not too far along. Under the circumstances you describe, if you have her spayed, the kittens would be aborted at the same time and praying that she remains asymptomatic after the stress of the operation, you might have a chance of placing her. I couldn't bear to think about what might be in store for those babies if they lose their mother, and don't have a human willing to step in and care for them. My 2 cents on the harshness of reality. Now, what I'm praying for is that you've fallen in love with this little stray and you'll want to adopt her yourself. If so, there are many wonderful, knowledgeable people on this list who will support you no matter where that decision takes you. I'm also praying that someone, if not you, will hear this little girl's story, take her in and give her the kind of life every kitty deserves. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, Two weeks ago I took a cat in that had been abandoned. Today, I took her to the vet and found out she was tested as positive for feline leukemia. I also found out today that she is pregnant. I have a 15 year old cat that does not have leukemia. Thus, I cannot keep this new cat but I need to find a shelter that can take her or a family that this will be their only help. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I live in Florida. Thank you in advance, Janet __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: cat question
Janet, I have to agree with everything that Nina said. Having the cat spayed would probably be the humane thing to do. My cat Cricket was born with Feline Leukemia; his mother had it. I would like to urge you to consider keeping this cat if you are at all attached to it, and caring for it yourself. FELV+ positive is not necessarily a death sentence; many cats throw off the virus after they've been exposed, expecially those with good health care and a lot of love. FELV+ cats are hard to place, and many times, are euthanised because a lot of vets recommend it. But we do not agree with this policy. These kitties deserve a happy life being loved just as much as a cat that isn't FELV+. Cricket lived 4 and a half years, and probably would have lived longer had he not been stressed out by a house full of Hurricane Rita evacuees for a week, when the virus kicked in and he became anemic. Because he was born FELV+, his life expectancy was a lot less than he actually lived. Many kittens die by 6 months because their immune systems are so weak, and even more by two years old. No one can make this decision for you, but learn a little more before you make the decision and I wish you luck. Let us know what you decide. I'll keep you in my prayers. :) Wendy --- Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Janet, As Terri and Tonya have already mentioned, many of us mix adult negs that have been vaccinated with pos. It's a judgement call and of course no matter what our success rate in doing this is, there's no safer protection for your elderly cat than to not mix them together. That's what most vets will tell you. Being that your current kitty is older, I might not mix them together either. That said, if I were in this situation, I'd figure God sent her to me for a reason and I'd personally dive in with both feet and do whatever I could to save her and her kittens. I am all too familiar with the heartache involved with pos kittens. My experience with felv came when my husband and I found a box of kittens that were just 2.5 weeks old. Because they were so young, I assume the mother succumbed to felv from the stress of having them and the people who abandoned them didn't know how to care for them. Why else would they take them from their mother at that age? We lost 2 of our babies when they were about 6 mos old and two more before their 2nd birthday. The other two are doing fine and are reaching 2.5 yrs. Their lives were filled with love and concern and I'm not a bit sorry that I made the commitment to try and save them. Janet, you have some tough decisions ahead of you. You don't know me, so you might think I'm a monster for even bringing this up, but given what you've said in your post... It's going to be hard enough to place the mother, if she's healthy. I can't say what I would do in your place. I'm not you and I have no idea what you have to contend with. If someone steps up very quickly to adopt her, knowing she's pregnant, well that's a different story altogether. If you just found out she's pregnant, I'm supposing she's not too far along. Under the circumstances you describe, if you have her spayed, the kittens would be aborted at the same time and praying that she remains asymptomatic after the stress of the operation, you might have a chance of placing her. I couldn't bear to think about what might be in store for those babies if they lose their mother, and don't have a human willing to step in and care for them. My 2 cents on the harshness of reality. Now, what I'm praying for is that you've fallen in love with this little stray and you'll want to adopt her yourself. If so, there are many wonderful, knowledgeable people on this list who will support you no matter where that decision takes you. I'm also praying that someone, if not you, will hear this little girl's story, take her in and give her the kind of life every kitty deserves. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, Two weeks ago I took a cat in that had been abandoned. Today, I took her to the vet and found out she was tested as positive for feline leukemia. I also found out today that she is pregnant. I have a 15 year old cat that does not have leukemia. Thus, I cannot keep this new cat but I need to find a shelter that can take her or a family that this will be their only help. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I live in Florida. Thank you in advance, Janet __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: cat question
Hi Janet, That simple act of rescue can certainly become complicated. I joined this list months ago after trapping a litter of feral positive kittens. I was looking for sound advice, which I got, and I should really sign off the list now since I can't keep up with the volume of emails but I hang on because this is the most sensitive, caring, THINKING list of people who love cats, so you couldn't have landed in a better place. That said, having seen too many hard-luck moms actually look grateful to have someone take over the care of yet another litter, I spay pregnant females in precarious positions for the mother's sake and the fact that there are already so many healthy, homeless kittens (and cats) out there already. Not a perfect answer, but one that makes sense to me, for now. Janine --- wendy [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Janet, I have to agree with everything that Nina said. Having the cat spayed would probably be the humane thing to do. My cat Cricket was born with Feline Leukemia; his mother had it. I would like to urge you to consider keeping this cat if you are at all attached to it, and caring for it yourself. FELV+ positive is not necessarily a death sentence; many cats throw off the virus after they've been exposed, expecially those with good health care and a lot of love. FELV+ cats are hard to place, and many times, are euthanised because a lot of vets recommend it. But we do not agree with this policy. These kitties deserve a happy life being loved just as much as a cat that isn't FELV+. Cricket lived 4 and a half years, and probably would have lived longer had he not been stressed out by a house full of Hurricane Rita evacuees for a week, when the virus kicked in and he became anemic. Because he was born FELV+, his life expectancy was a lot less than he actually lived. Many kittens die by 6 months because their immune systems are so weak, and even more by two years old. No one can make this decision for you, but learn a little more before you make the decision and I wish you luck. Let us know what you decide. I'll keep you in my prayers. :) Wendy --- Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Janet, As Terri and Tonya have already mentioned, many of us mix adult negs that have been vaccinated with pos. It's a judgement call and of course no matter what our success rate in doing this is, there's no safer protection for your elderly cat than to not mix them together. That's what most vets will tell you. Being that your current kitty is older, I might not mix them together either. That said, if I were in this situation, I'd figure God sent her to me for a reason and I'd personally dive in with both feet and do whatever I could to save her and her kittens. I am all too familiar with the heartache involved with pos kittens. My experience with felv came when my husband and I found a box of kittens that were just 2.5 weeks old. Because they were so young, I assume the mother succumbed to felv from the stress of having them and the people who abandoned them didn't know how to care for them. Why else would they take them from their mother at that age? We lost 2 of our babies when they were about 6 mos old and two more before their 2nd birthday. The other two are doing fine and are reaching 2.5 yrs. Their lives were filled with love and concern and I'm not a bit sorry that I made the commitment to try and save them. Janet, you have some tough decisions ahead of you. You don't know me, so you might think I'm a monster for even bringing this up, but given what you've said in your post... It's going to be hard enough to place the mother, if she's healthy. I can't say what I would do in your place. I'm not you and I have no idea what you have to contend with. If someone steps up very quickly to adopt her, knowing she's pregnant, well that's a different story altogether. If you just found out she's pregnant, I'm supposing she's not too far along. Under the circumstances you describe, if you have her spayed, the kittens would be aborted at the same time and praying that she remains asymptomatic after the stress of the operation, you might have a chance of placing her. I couldn't bear to think about what might be in store for those babies if they lose their mother, and don't have a human willing to step in and care for them. My 2 cents on the harshness of reality. Now, what I'm praying for is that you've fallen in love with this little stray and you'll want to adopt her yourself. If so, there are many wonderful, knowledgeable people on this list who will support you no matter where that decision takes you. I'm also praying that someone, if not you, will hear this little girl's story, take her in and give her the kind of life every
RE: cat question
I am sorry that the kitty has feLK --- I haven't read all the postings what other people said.. but it's going to be very hard to find a home for the kitty for the same reason that you think you cannot keep her. I really hope that you will find a way to be able to -- there is a reason why you found her or she found you. I have two Felk kitties and have dozens of negative (but they have some other things) --- My second FeLK baby, Tsubomi, I thought I was not going to be able to keep her because of different reasons, but found a way and still have her and am going to keep her, I think. I just found that she is also pregnant, so I am going to have her spayed.. fortunately, though she is positive and she is very asymptomatic.. my felk kitties are not mixed with negatives just because I have so many kitties, but I know that lots of people on the list do. Even if you have to separate the kitty from the other kitty in one room, I really sincerely hope that you will find a way to be her mom as she really needs you. Love, Hideyo -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wendy Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 10:52 AM To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Subject: Re: cat question Janet, I have to agree with everything that Nina said. Having the cat spayed would probably be the humane thing to do. My cat Cricket was born with Feline Leukemia; his mother had it. I would like to urge you to consider keeping this cat if you are at all attached to it, and caring for it yourself. FELV+ positive is not necessarily a death sentence; many cats throw off the virus after they've been exposed, expecially those with good health care and a lot of love. FELV+ cats are hard to place, and many times, are euthanised because a lot of vets recommend it. But we do not agree with this policy. These kitties deserve a happy life being loved just as much as a cat that isn't FELV+. Cricket lived 4 and a half years, and probably would have lived longer had he not been stressed out by a house full of Hurricane Rita evacuees for a week, when the virus kicked in and he became anemic. Because he was born FELV+, his life expectancy was a lot less than he actually lived. Many kittens die by 6 months because their immune systems are so weak, and even more by two years old. No one can make this decision for you, but learn a little more before you make the decision and I wish you luck. Let us know what you decide. I'll keep you in my prayers. :) Wendy --- Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Janet, As Terri and Tonya have already mentioned, many of us mix adult negs that have been vaccinated with pos. It's a judgement call and of course no matter what our success rate in doing this is, there's no safer protection for your elderly cat than to not mix them together. That's what most vets will tell you. Being that your current kitty is older, I might not mix them together either. That said, if I were in this situation, I'd figure God sent her to me for a reason and I'd personally dive in with both feet and do whatever I could to save her and her kittens. I am all too familiar with the heartache involved with pos kittens. My experience with felv came when my husband and I found a box of kittens that were just 2.5 weeks old. Because they were so young, I assume the mother succumbed to felv from the stress of having them and the people who abandoned them didn't know how to care for them. Why else would they take them from their mother at that age? We lost 2 of our babies when they were about 6 mos old and two more before their 2nd birthday. The other two are doing fine and are reaching 2.5 yrs. Their lives were filled with love and concern and I'm not a bit sorry that I made the commitment to try and save them. Janet, you have some tough decisions ahead of you. You don't know me, so you might think I'm a monster for even bringing this up, but given what you've said in your post... It's going to be hard enough to place the mother, if she's healthy. I can't say what I would do in your place. I'm not you and I have no idea what you have to contend with. If someone steps up very quickly to adopt her, knowing she's pregnant, well that's a different story altogether. If you just found out she's pregnant, I'm supposing she's not too far along. Under the circumstances you describe, if you have her spayed, the kittens would be aborted at the same time and praying that she remains asymptomatic after the stress of the operation, you might have a chance of placing her. I couldn't bear to think about what might be in store for those babies if they lose their mother, and don't have a human willing to step in and care for them. My 2 cents on the harshness of reality. Now, what I'm praying for is that you've fallen in love with this little stray and you'll want to adopt her yourself
cat question
Hello, Two weeks ago I took a cat in that had been abandoned. Today, I took her to the vet and found out she was tested as positive for feline leukemia. I also found out today that she is pregnant. I have a 15 year old cat that does not have leukemia. Thus, I cannot keep this new cat but I need to find a shelter that can take her or a family that this will be their only help. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I live in Florida. Thank you in advance, Janet
Re: cat question
Hi, If your 15 year old negative is vaccinated, it's unlikely that he will get FeLV, especially if you can keep them separate for a while until they get used to each other's scents. I mostly lurk on the list lately, and am FeLV free at the moment, so I will let other list members who are more active than I respond with their ideas. My 2 cents -- you may have trouble finding a FeLV positive rescue. I would suggest putting flyers up at local veterinarian offices, Petsmart stores (and any other business like it). You could also do a search on petfinders.org for your area and see what you find. Hope this helps. =^..^= Terri, Siggie the Tomato Vampire, Guinevere, Sammi, Travis, and 6 furangels: RuthieGirl, Samantha, Arielle, Gareth, Alec Salome' =^..^= Furkid Photos! http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7sgqa/My Personal Page: http://www.geocities.com/ruthiegirl1/terrispage.html?1083970447350 - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2005 5:45 PM Subject: cat question Hello, Two weeks ago I took a cat in that had been abandoned. Today, I took her to the vet and found out she was tested as positive for feline leukemia. I also found out today that she is pregnant. I have a 15 year old cat that does not have leukemia. Thus, I cannot keep this new cat but I need to find a shelter that can take her or a family that this will be their only help. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I live in Florida. Thank you in advance, Janet
Re: cat question
Janet, As Terri and Tonya have already mentioned, many of us mix adult negs that have been vaccinated with pos. It's a judgement call and of course no matter what our success rate in doing this is, there's no safer protection for your elderly cat than to not mix them together. That's what most vets will tell you. Being that your current kitty is older, I might not mix them together either. That said, if I were in this situation, I'd figure God sent her to me for a reason and I'd personally dive in with both feet and do whatever I could to save her and her kittens. I am all too familiar with the heartache involved with pos kittens. My experience with felv came when my husband and I found a box of kittens that were just 2.5 weeks old. Because they were so young, I assume the mother succumbed to felv from the stress of having them and the people who abandoned them didn't know how to care for them. Why else would they take them from their mother at that age? We lost 2 of our babies when they were about 6 mos old and two more before their 2nd birthday. The other two are doing fine and are reaching 2.5 yrs. Their lives were filled with love and concern and I'm not a bit sorry that I made the commitment to try and save them. Janet, you have some tough decisions ahead of you. You don't know me, so you might think I'm a monster for even bringing this up, but given what you've said in your post... It's going to be hard enough to place the mother, if she's healthy. I can't say what I would do in your place. I'm not you and I have no idea what you have to contend with. If someone steps up very quickly to adopt her, knowing she's pregnant, well that's a different story altogether. If you just found out she's pregnant, I'm supposing she's not too far along. Under the circumstances you describe, if you have her spayed, the kittens would be aborted at the same time and praying that she remains asymptomatic after the stress of the operation, you might have a chance of placing her. I couldn't bear to think about what might be in store for those babies if they lose their mother, and don't have a human willing to step in and care for them. My 2 cents on the harshness of reality. Now, what I'm praying for is that you've fallen in love with this little stray and you'll want to adopt her yourself. If so, there are many wonderful, knowledgeable people on this list who will support you no matter where that decision takes you. I'm also praying that someone, if not you, will hear this little girl's story, take her in and give her the kind of life every kitty deserves. Nina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, Two weeks ago I took a cat in that had been abandoned. Today, I took her to the vet and found out she was tested as positive for feline leukemia. I also found out today that she is pregnant. I have a 15 year old cat that does not have leukemia. Thus, I cannot keep this new cat but I need to find a shelter that can take her or a family that this will be their only help. Please let me know if you have any ideas. I live in Florida. Thank you in advance, Janet
