What To Expect With A Fiv Positive Cat?

Lucille1

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We are adopting a rescue cat who is FIV positive and really don't know what to expect with him or how we can make his life easier..We know he needs a non stressful environment and a healthy diet to support his immune system but we are kind of in the dark about his proper care. Has anyone had any experience with an FIV positive kitty? This is not feline leukemia, it is FIV which is like feline aids I am told but not a death sentence, some FIV cats live perfectly normal lives and into old age! We are very hopeful about our new boy but want to give him the best care possible :) I would appreciate any advice on food, supplements, etc! Thank you!
 
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Lucille1

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Oh he is 3 years old and not a kitten as it says in the thread!
 

weebeasties

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Rocky is fiv+. We don't know how long he has had it. He was an adult when we took him in and had him tested. That was about 8 years ago now.
Fortunately he has had no major health issues. A UTI once and some ear problems. We don't give him any supplements. We feed him a combination of wet and dry food. Instead of yearly checkups, he goes about every 9 months. Other than that, his care is similar to our other cats.
Bravo to you for giving this boy a home! :clap:
 

jen

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I no longer have my FIV baby Willoughby (RIP) but he always had bad snooty sniffles and loose stool. He also needed basically all his teeth pulled. I didn't know nearly what I know now about cats in general and I kick myself for it because there is so much more I could have done for him. Lysine gel helped a lot too.
 

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There are currently two FIV+ seniors at the shelter (that have prospective "parents" :crossfingers:). They're estimated to be 9 and 10 years old and are in fairly good shape despite having spent most of their lives on the streets. Both have had full mouth extractions due to stomatitis, both need eye ointment because of chronic herpes infections, and one has a recurring ear infection. We had another that also had his teeth removed due to stomatitis, had a stubborn case of ringworm, and was prone to URIs.

Basically, FIV+ cats can live normal lives; if they become ill, it takes a bit longer to successfully treat them, and the vet may have to try a few different meds to see what works best. It's not a death sentence, and they can be kept with other cats as long as they're neutered and don't fight.
 
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Lucille1

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Rocky is fiv+. We don't know how long he has had it. He was an adult when we took him in and had him tested. That was about 8 years ago now.
Fortunately he has had no major health issues. A UTI once and some ear problems. We don't give him any supplements. We feed him a combination of wet and dry food. Instead of yearly checkups, he goes about every 9 months. Other than that, his care is similar to our other cats.
Bravo to you for giving this boy a home! :clap:
Oh this is very encouraging! It is nice to hear that Rocky is doing vey well and leading a normal life! Thank you for sharing your experience with me! I am very nervous but hearing positive stories makes me feel more capable as a kitty parent!
 
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Lucille1

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There are currently two FIV+ seniors at the shelter (that have prospective "parents" :crossfingers:). They're estimated to be 9 and 10 years old and are in fairly good shape despite having spent most of their lives on the streets. Both have had full mouth extractions due to stomatitis, both need eye ointment because of chronic herpes infections, and one has a recurring ear infection. We had another that also had his teeth removed due to stomatitis, had a stubborn case of ringworm, and was prone to URIs.

Basically, FIV+ cats can live normal lives; if they become ill, it takes a bit longer to successfully treat them, and the vet may have to try a few different meds to see what works best. It's not a death sentence, and they can be kept with other cats as long as they're neutered and don't fight.
Thank you for responding! This is all very helpful! I feel better knowing what to possibly expect and look at for at different stages in his life! I don't know much about his past history as he was abandoned so I am in the dark with a lot of things, but he is a very loving kitty and I remain hopeful that we can give him a good home!
 
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Lucille1

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I no longer have my FIV baby Willoughby (RIP) but he always had bad snooty sniffles and loose stool. He also needed basically all his teeth pulled. I didn't know nearly what I know now about cats in general and I kick myself for it because there is so much more I could have done for him. Lysine gel helped a lot too.
I am so sorry that you lost your baby Willoughby :( He sounds like a wonderful kitty :) I am not very familiar with lysine gel is that for teeth? I am still learning about all this, so I understand how you feel it is a process becoming familiar with all the medicines and treatments for different ailments! You did the best you could for your kitty with the knowledge you had at the time and I am sure he knows that :)
 

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Thank you for your generosity in adopting this kitty!! It sounds like you will have to make sure you have funds for his (probably more recurring) vet visits!
 

shadowsrescue

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I have an FIV+ kitty too. I rescued him from the outside world last year. At the time I rescued him, he was limping as well as had a tail injury. Once he was healthy again, I did the blood test and he was positive for FIV. I had 2 other cats at the time and was worried about their exposure too. I have learned so much since that day I found out.

He is just the sweetest cat. He is very healthy ( minus a urinary blockage and surgery not related at all to FIV) and I have had no issues. He is between 4-5 years old. He and my other cats all get along well.

I feed home cooked cat food. I do add a daily vitamin to each of my cats food as well as an immune booster.

Thank you for rescuing this little one.
 

jen

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I am so sorry that you lost your baby Willoughby :( He sounds like a wonderful kitty :) I am not very familiar with lysine gel is that for teeth? I am still learning about all this, so I understand how you feel it is a process becoming familiar with all the medicines and treatments for different ailments! You did the best you could for your kitty with the knowledge you had at the time and I am sure he knows that
I am so sorry that you lost your baby Willoughby :( He sounds like a wonderful kitty :) I am not very familiar with lysine gel is that for teeth? I am still learning about all this, so I understand how you feel it is a process becoming familiar with all the medicines and treatments for different ailments! You did the best you could for your kitty with the knowledge you had at the time and I am sure he knows that :)
Thanks, he was a sweetheart. Acted like a dog, other then the fact that i found him as an older cat he fit the looks and discription and behavior of a Manx to a T. Anyway, Lysine gel comes in a tube, you can also buy powder form but it doesn't taste great.... the gel you can just mush some on their paw and they lick it off. It is an immune system booster and used for cold sores in humans. It helped him a lot with his painful mouth and keeping him from getting too sickly, but he was never 100%. I have heard people also say it didn't really do anything so maybe just depends on the cat. Although, again I think people expect things to help completely or they stop using it.
 

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I also have a maybe FIV+ cat. She was a kitten with a FIV+ mom and I was told there are often false positives with kittens under 6 months. I haven't had her retested yet. But when I first adopted her, I spoke to several vets and did a lot of research. I can't speak from first hand experience. But here are some of the things that I was told that I found most helpful/useful:
  • Only about 30% of cats with FIV actually get feline AIDS. This is different from humans, where about 80% of HIV cases would turn into AIDS without the relatively recent drugs that keep HIV dormant. Having FIV before it turns into Feline AIDS requires no real special treatment. And if the FIV never turns into Feline AIDs then the cat will have a perfectly normal/healthy life.
  • It's good to have more frequent vet appointments than you might otherwise just to make sure things aren't changing.
  • You'll want to monitor changes in behavior/appetite/grooming/etc a bit more closely than you would in a normal cat just to make sure things are advancing or progressing.
  • It's actually not that easy to contract FIV. So, if you do want to get another cat, yes getting another FIV+ one would be great and save another cat many may not want to, FIV+ cats can live easily and safely with FIV- cats as long as they get along and do not fight. FIV is typically transmitted through deep puncture wounds. And it can't be spread through grooming, sharing food, sharing a litter box, or any other day to day activities.
 
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Lucille1

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Thank you for all of this helpful information!! I really appreciate it!!
 

RufusGizmo

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hi, I ran into this older forum, and was wondering if you are still on the site? I have two kittens with FIV (actually they are almost two now) and never really was told by the vet what to expect. more reading about it now, as one of them has an eye and ear infection, was just wondering if anyone was out there with info and/or word of encouragement.
 

shadowsrescue

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hi, I ran into this older forum, and was wondering if you are still on the site? I have two kittens with FIV (actually they are almost two now) and never really was told by the vet what to expect. more reading about it now, as one of them has an eye and ear infection, was just wondering if anyone was out there with info and/or word of encouragement.
FIV+ kitties are more prone to infections. It is important to feed them the highest quality food ( wet food is best) that you can afford. Also I would get them on an immune supplement. You can use lysine for awhile to help with the eye infections. Lysine is great with helping with upper respiratory infections. You can find it on Amazon and/or most pet stores. It comes in treat formula, powder of paste. The powder and paste can be mixed into the wet food. When symptoms are present, you give it 1-2x a day until symptoms improve then only once a day. Long term use of daily lysine is now not always recommended.

I have my FIV+ cats ( I have 2 now) on VetriScience DMG. I just put a dropper into their food once a day.
I will add lysine to the mix if the there is any signs of runny eyes or sneezing.

FIV+ kitties can live long healthy lives. It's just important to get proper vet care as needed.
 
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