Need input - FIV+ and FIV- cats living together. Risks/Concerns

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chaucer

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When I get Jed to the vet, there may be a lot going on and I'll have to make some decisions about his leg. It's his front leg and from what I understand the options are pretty much surgery to re-break it and re-set it or amputation. All of this is a bit out of my price-range with four (now) cats. Whatever the decision is, he will be my indoor cat. At any rate, he's at a physical disadvantage when it comes to fighting, fleeing, and jumping so when the time comes for the males to fight over territory and females, I want him to be safe. It seems three of my cats have come to me in needy situations. One pregnant, one with FIV and now this one with his injured leg. Chaucer has anxiety and bouts of UTI and colitis but I rescued him as a kitten from the local shelter. He's doing well.
 

talkingpeanut

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It does sound like Orville needs some recovery time from the shot and the whole ordeal. Let us know how he’s doing in a few days.

Do you have a timeline for Jed’s vet visit?
 
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chaucer

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No. Jed will NOT go in the crate. He will come in the house, be affectionate toward me, let me pet him and run my hand down his bad leg, but will not go in the crate even with tuna in it. I once got him in but he rushed out. One morning, I looked out and he was sitting in the crate. This was day after Orville used the crate to go to the vet. As soon as I opened the door to go out, he rushed out and ran to me. I cannot pick him up and put him in it though.
 

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All in all it sounds like things have gone pretty well!

I'm kinda surprised he was given an felv shot. This can most definitely cause him to not feel well. Can be pretty substantial side effects too.

As for the leg injured kitty, as long as there is good blood flow in it, he may not need anything done at all.
I had a cat show up at a colony of mine with a mangled and fully dangling hind leg. He was trap smart and I was never able to trap him, at least not for nearly 1 1/2 yrs.
By then it had healed but the lower half still hung on by skin and had shrunk and slightly twisted.
The vet he finally saw said his blood flow was good in the paw and there was no pain, only the lack of having his 4th leg use.
She would remove it but made clear it was for cosmetic reasons only,. and after talking with his future owner where he would live now, chose to leave it as is, at least for now.
He holds it up also but it's the norm for him now.
I named him Skippy btw, lol.....rather twisted I know! ;)
 
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kittyluv387

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All in all it sounds like things have gone pretty well!

I'm kinda surprised he was given an felv shot. This can most definitely cause him to not feel well. He will test pos for felv now btw, in case the vet did not tell you this.

As for the leg injured kitty, as long as there is good blood flow in it, he may not need anything done at all.
I had a cat show up at a colony of mine with a mangled and fully dangling hind leg. He was trap smart and I was never able to trap him, at least not for nearly 1 1/2 yrs.
By then it had healed but the lower half still hung on by skin and had shrunk and slightly twisted.
The vet he finally saw said his blood flow was good in the paw and there was no pain, only the lack of having his 4th leg use.
She would remove it but made clear it was for cosmetic reasons only,. and after talking with his future owner where he would live now, chose to leave it as is, at least for now.
He holds it up also but it's the norm for him now.
I named him Skippy btw, lol.....rather twisted I know! ;)
I thought it was the FIV vaccine that will cause a falsw positive and not the FELV? Did a lot of reading on it due to us taking in a possible FELV + recently.
 
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chaucer

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Thank you all for answering. I'd prefer not to use a humane trap. I had two and never had to use them so I gave them away to friends who needed to trap rabbits in their garden. Orville's hind quarters were sore to the touch for several days. He'd whimper if I touched him there. His back still ripples and he turns his head toward m hand like he might bite, but that's not his style to do that.

Glad to hear catwoman707 catwoman707 that your cat is okay and did not require amputation or surgery. I hope that's the case with Jed. He runs holding up his leg.
 
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chaucer

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He came out this morning and is eating. He was hiding in the morning when I got up, at least for an hour or two. He is no longer mewling when his lower back is touched, so that's good, and it doesn't seem to ripple. Some of the hiding may be in part to Jed being allowed in the den a bit in the morning to eat with Henryetta and Chaucer. Orville's tendency to hide when scared or uncomfortable with change is common and is part of his feral instinct, but it has been a lot stronger the past couple of weeks.
 
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chaucer

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Orville update: came out, ate, and joined in the morning play with Chaucer. He is trilling and and will appear some when Jed is briefly in the house in the afternoon.
Jed (in profile pic) was SITTING in the crate this morning but got out as soon as I opened the sliding back door. He came in the house, ate his food by the door, wandered a little in the den and went out. I am now able to close the back door all the way. He just knows to go there if he wants an escape. This has become a cat who wants to be inside. It is much how Orville acted, except for sitting in the crate. I am thinking I might bring the crate in the house near the door in the hopes he will go in and I can close it. Jed is affectionate - overly so- and has a very loud purr now. Taken two years.
 
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Hi, everyone. I haven't posted an update since December 2017. I have rescued another FIV cat. Yes, I finally caught Jed, the cat in the profile picture. Of course I did not know he was FIV + but I suspected it. Jed went into the crate yesterday morning and was neutered, given his shots, wormed, had his wounds treated - mating season- his limping leg checked, had an anti-inflammatory shot for the leg, had a big antibiotic shot for his wounds, and had his blood work done. He looks so great in the profile picture, but he's been in fights for the past month.

Unfortunately, I cannot keep him inside with the other three, and it is not because of the FIV. Jed is very friendly and tame with me, and he did well at the vet and in the crate. Jed sprays. I'm hoping this will stop once the testosterone drops.So, Jed is now more of a TNR with house privileges in bad weather or when he wants to come in.
 

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chaucer

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Thanks, everyone. He showed up this morning. Happy as could be. Came in, ate, wandered around and went back out. I hope that in a few days he won't be fighting any longer and he'll be happier staying around here.
 
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chaucer

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I am going to try this again. I couldn't delete an extra photo. I also couldn't shrink the pictures. In order:
Henryetta, my first neighbor hood rescue - and eventually her five kittens. Orville my first FIV + rescue (in two photos). He is 14.8 pounds now. Chaucer who took over the crate for Jed. Chaucer I adopted at 4 months from the local shelter 5 years ago and was my first cat in my new town. He is the Alpha Male at only 8.5 pounds. Jed. Jed does not want to go outside today... hmmm.
 
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zed xyzed

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I am going to try this again. I couldn't delete an extra photo. I also couldn't shrink the pictures. In order:
Henryetta, my first neighbor hood rescue - and eventually her five kittens. Orville my first FIV + rescue (in two photos). He is 14.8 pounds now. Chaucer who took over the crate for Jed. Chaucer I adopted at 4 months from the local shelter 5 years ago and was my first cat in my new town. He is the Alpha Male at only 8.5 pounds. Jed. Jed does not want to go outside today... hmmm.
beautiful; thanks for sharing
 
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