Fiv+ Cat Scratched My Cat

[smhsn1981]

Hi all,
I've adopted a cat which is suspicious of FIV.
The thing is he was tested three times for FIV before I adopted him.
The first time his kit came positive while the second and third was negative. When I adopted him we did the test again which was again positive (fourth time). All these tests were the quick snap kit (Elisa test). When I asked the Dr. why every time we get a different test result she did not know it. She did not even know which test is more reliable. Now, I am really confused if I should consider his + or - for FIV considering twice + and twice - results.
What makes me so worried is that last night I saw a little scratch wound on my own cat's nose with a bit of blood. I don't know if this was by the new cat or my other cat.
The new cat is a castrated male, he is not aggressive at all, but he is so playful, they are not still completely getting along, there has been no serious fight so far, only hissing and little scratching, but no serious biting or so. I have confined new cat in kitchen but I take him out when I am home and can supervise them, so thats only time they are in contact and I see sometimes they paw at each other.
Do you think with this small scratch wound there is a chance of FIV transmission?
Which tests you recommend so I am sure if the new cat is really FIV + or not.
Is this really possible that the ELISA test results come + and - every time? Or should I assume the people who cared for the cat before me lied to me about testing him for FIV?
They actually sent me the snap test result pictures once which was negative but how is it every time we get a different result?
Another thing is all the cats are also Corona virus + ,
Is it so dangerous if a cat is both FIV and Corona + ?

 

[Notacrazycatlady]

I don't know how FIV tests work, but with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), the rapid tests have a window of time where you read the result. If you let the test sit too long or read it too soon, the result is invalid--the line may not have appeared yet or might have faded before you saw it. There are also issues with collecting the sample properly (over-saturating the mouth swab, among other things can give a false positive result which is why many testing sites have switched to blood testing rather than oral swabs). If the FIV rapid tests work anything like pregnancy tests or HIV rapid tests then the accuracy would depend on the tech who ran the test and whether the test was read in a timely manner.

That doesn't help with how to know for sure, but at least that might explain the inconsistent results. Unless there's an underlying immune system issue that can mess with the test. There are a few diseases that can mess with HIV tests at any rate.

Sorry, long-winded and completely unhelpful. Hopefully someone else here can provide a more constructive answer.

 

[Norachan]

There is no chance of the FIV virus being passed on by a scratch. It can only be passed on through sexual contact or by a bite. It has to be a deep bite too, the kind cats give each other when they are seriously fighting. A little nip during play fight is very unlikely to pass on the virus.

Do you have the test certificates for all the blood tests that were done? Ask the previous owners to send you the real documents, so you can be sure it's the same cat.

Has this cat been vaccinated against FIV?

 

[smhsn1981]

There is no chance of the FIV virus being passed on by a scratch. It can only be passed on through sexual contact or by a bite. It has to be a deep bite too, the kind cats give each other when they are seriously fighting. A little nip during play fight is very unlikely to pass on the virus.

Do you have the test certificates for all the blood tests that were done? Ask the previous owners to send you the real documents, so you can be sure it's the same cat.

Has this cat been vaccinated against FIV?

Well, the thing is there was a bit of blood on her nose, the wound is too small like a 1 millimeter or so but there was a little blood. No the cat is not vaccinated, and the dr said FIV vaccine is not usually effective,
There is no document for the test, it was just simple FIV kits which quickly test the blood for antibodies,

 

[smhsn1981]

I don't know how FIV tests work, but with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), the rapid tests have a window of time where you read the result. If you let the test sit too long or read it too soon, the result is invalid--the line may not have appeared yet or might have faded before you saw it. There are also issues with collecting the sample properly (over-saturating the mouth swab, among other things can give a false positive result which is why many testing sites have switched to blood testing rather than oral swabs). If the FIV rapid tests work anything like pregnancy tests or HIV rapid tests then the accuracy would depend on the tech who ran the test and whether the test was read in a timely manner.

That doesn't help with how to know for sure, but at least that might explain the inconsistent results. Unless there's an underlying immune system issue that can mess with the test. There are a few diseases that can mess with HIV tests at any rate.

Sorry, long-winded and completely unhelpful. Hopefully someone else here can provide a more constructive answer.

Thanks, but the FIV snap tests the blood not the saliva, so they take a blood sampel and test it quickly for fiv antibodies,

 

[molly92]

The FIV vaccine is not recommended-I think Norachan asked because a vaccinated cat will test as positive even if they are actually negative.

The ELISA test is a good starting point, but it can definitely give false positives! I would ask for IFA-immunofluorescent array. This is a much more reliable test but it has to be sent out to a laboratory. Standard procedure is to confirm positive ELISA with IFA.

I don't think your cat has FIV. It takes a serious, teeth sinking into a blood vessel bite to transmit it.

I do not know much about corona virus, but as FIV attacks the immune system when it becomes active, I assume this will increase the risk and severity of symptoms of corona like any other disease and FIV. But that could be years away-my 7 year old FIV positive cat is currently happy and healthy!

 

[smhsn1981]

The FIV vaccine is not recommended-I think Norachan asked because a vaccinated cat will test as positive even if they are actually negative.

The ELISA test is a good starting point, but it can definitely give false positives! I would ask for IFA-immunofluorescent array. This is a much more reliable test but it has to be sent out to a laboratory. Standard procedure is to confirm positive ELISA with IFA.

I don't think your cat has FIV. It takes a serious, teeth sinking into a blood vessel bite to transmit it.

I do not know much about corona virus, but as FIV attacks the immune system when it becomes active, I assume this will increase the risk and severity of symptoms of corona like any other disease and FIV. But that could be years away-my 7 year old FIV positive cat is currently happy and healthy!

Thanks, I feel better now, it is too much stress since I adopted this new cat and he tested FIV+ and since then I have always Phobia of my other cats getting FIV,
fortunately the new cat is very calm and easy-going, however he is too hyper, he just chases the girls and wants so badly to play fight with them but they are still not ready for that, so they get scared and hiss and try to scratch him then he also scratches them back, he is super active, he even takes his poop out of litter box and play with it although I gave him balls to play, seems he really wants to have a play mate and is too bored but I cannot just let them together until I am confident they are getting along well.

 

[molly92]

Aw, he sounds like trouble! Yes just for the sake of your older cats' sanity, best to take introductions slowly. They'll figure each other out eventually! Multicat feliway might ease the stress for your other cats until then, and rigorous play sessions with the new guy can help wear him out! Puzzle toys might also be good for him-working the brain can be just as tiring as running around.

 

[Margret]

FIV is passed by body fluids; that's why it takes either mating or a deep bite, one that puts the infected cat's saliva deep into the other cat's body. And that's also why it can't be passed by a scratch. Even if the infected cat had a scratch and another cat groomed the blood off of the infected cat, that shouldn't do it. FIV+ and FIV- cats can live together, happy and healthy, for their entire lives with no problems other than the normal cat problems we all encounter every once in a while.

Margret

 

[smhsn1981]

That’s the scratch on her nose you think it’s not transmitted through this ?

 

[molly92]

That’s the scratch on her nose you think it’s not transmitted through this ?

Nope! She should be absolutely fine.

 

[smhsn1981]

Nope! She should be absolutely fine.

Thank you very much, you made me so relieved <3

 

[Margret]

We all tend to worry a lot when it's our babies potentially at risk; your worries are perfectly understandable. But that's why you came here, right? To find out whether you need to worry, and at least on this subject you don't.

Margret

 

[Norachan]

You can get a false positive if you test a kitten that is still nursing from an FIV positive mum. The kitten won't necessarily be FIV positive just because the mother is. You can also get a false positive from a cat that has been vaccinated. I've had cat that test positive for the virus living with my other cats for years now and the virus hasn't been transmitted. As long as your cats are all spayed and neutered there is very little risk.

If you have a cat that test positive for FIV it's a good idea to get them vaccinated against other cat diseases, because they're much more susceptible to them. Make sure your vet uses a killed vaccine for an FIV positive cat.

Really FIV isn't the death sentence many people think it is. There's no reason these cats can't live a long and healthy life with a little extra care.