Potentially adopting a panleukopenia survivor

[ct970]

Hey everyone!
Some of you may know I recently lost my kitten to FIP. We had time to spend with him in the end and process his condition, which I think ultimately helped in my grieving for him. It feels very lonely/empty in the house, but I did a proper deep sanitizing/disinfecting of the entire place and am on a waiting period to ensure virus is cleared. I recently found a rescue that takes in kittens that are high risk of euthanasia from local shelters and tries to bring them back to health. As a result, a lot of their kittens were sick or injured, but aren't adoptable unless they are cleared. I stumbled upon two very bonded female kittens, 12 and 14 weeks. They are the cutest things ever, and the rescue is willing to hold them until my wait period is up as they are in a foster and I am the first to want to adopt the both of them, as they don't wanna separate them, they are dependent on each other and are super close. I met them at their foster home and played with them, they seem super loving and playful. The only thing is that the 14 week old one tested positive for panleukopenia in early November (they said about 1/2 of their kittens are panleukopenia kittens and are treated in isolation or at an experienced foster home with a designated room until they either succumb to it or they are deemed recovered) at the shelter and treated at the rescue in isolation for 3 weeks before being deemed healthy enough to place in a foster home around the 3rd week of November and has been ever since, she has had all vaccines including rabies and has been spayed. She looks pretty skinny, smaller than the 12 week old one but still seems to be perky, loving, and playful. I guess my question is, is she likely going to be ok now that she has presumably recovered from panleuk or are there potentially going to be other issues to come? I'm hoping we can get her weight up and make sure she has a healthy and happy long life, but was just wondering if anyone with experience has any advice on the situation. I would love nothing more than to adopt both of them and give them a happy home once I'm able!

 

[fionasmom]

I don't know enough about FP to really comment but am under the impression that they can recover and go on with normal lives. Others will hopefully chime in. You are very kind to want to help these kittens.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I agree with fionasmom - from my understanding if a cat is deemed to have recovered, s/he will be fine. However, I have also heard that it can take 6 weeks or more for total recovery, so make sure you ask the rescue if there are any precautions you should take if you have any other cats that haven't already been vaccinated.

Just out of curiosity, what does the rescue say about the second kitten in terms of the virus? Did they separate the two when treating the sick kitten? Did they test her when the other one became sick, and the results were negative, so they vaccinated her? I am just wondering...

 

[ct970]

Hi. I agree with fionasmom - from my understanding if a cat is deemed to have recovered, s/he will be fine. However, I have also heard that it can take 6 weeks or more for total recovery, so make sure you ask the rescue if there are any precautions you should take if you have any other cats that haven't already been vaccinated.

Just out of curiosity, what does the rescue say about the second kitten in terms of the virus? Did they separate the two when treating the sick kitten? Did they test her when the other one became sick, and the results were negative, so they vaccinated her? I am just wondering...

Hey! Thanks for your reply. I wouldn't be getting them for a little while longer so she should be around the 6 week mark of recovery once I get them! I also don't have any other cats in the household, it would just be these two so that wouldn't be an issue.

As for the other kitten, the records indicate that the panleukopenia kitten was a shelter kitten that tested positive at the beginning November so that's when they reached out to the rescue and got her in with them to treat her in an isolation unit, otherwise she would have just been euthanized. The other kitten didn't come from the same place, and wasnt taken in by the rescue until mid November, she was never in contact with the panleuk kitten until they were placed in the same foster home after she was done being treated and was no longer sick, toward the end of November. There were a total of 5 kittens in the same foster home including her, none of which developed symptoms and all got adopted except these two, and are all still fine. The other kitten has gotten all of her FVRCP boosters and has been around this kitten constantly for about a month now and has not shown any symptoms. I don't think they tested her because she came into the rescue around the mid November, didn't appear sick and was not in contact with the panleukopenia kitten until they were placed into the same foster home and still has no indication of being sick. I plan to test them both when I get them at the vet however just to be sure.

 

[mhchamberlin]

I know it has been a year since this post, and I was wondering if you were able to adopt the kittens? I have adopted a brother and a sister. The brother had Feline Panleukopenia and was undergoing treatment when we adopted him. We were able to take him home after his treatments. He was smaller than his sister when we adopted them. We had adopted him a month after we had adopted him. She was 15 weeks old when we adopted her and he was 19 weeks old when we adopted him. He is now almost twice her size and still growing. He has some motor skill issues because of the panleukopenia and some days, especially when the weather changes, he struggles some when trying to walk, jump or climb. He cannot climb but can jump onto the bed, couch, or recliner. His body tends to be stiff and not fluid like his sister, but that doesn't stop him from trying anything and everything. Does your kitten struggle in any area of its life?

 

[di and bob]

I have some distemper survivors, all of the same family. We had many kittens die that year (strays and ferals) my house cats were fine, they had been vaccinated. Several adults died too. three were tested and were positive for distemper. My inside cats now were outside cats the first year of their life, but are now strictly indoors as they developed feline leukemia too. (later in life, when they were adults) One has always had breathing issues and we discovered his lungs are scarred, most likely from the distemper. Your kitten may just need more time to recover, at least a year. Mine are all doing fine, so far, are on DMG to build up their immune systems and LifeGold for cancers. they are 7 and 8 years old. My youngest was diagnosed with leukemia 2.5 years ago after numerous illnesses. I never had the others tested because I would not separate or change their lives in any way. Even if the changes in your little one are permanent, he will still have a full life with your love and care, though I think he will improve in time. This disease is horrible, especially to kittens, and it takes a long time to recover.......

 

[catsknowme]

Most of my panleuck survivors have lived over 7 years. I lost my little sidekick Lance at a little over 8 years due to chronic lung infections and stomatitis which made it difficult to medicate him. I have 3 more survivors who are from 8-11 years. The lung problems seem to act up more in the winter, especially with the outside ferals. A round of antibiotics works great for the ones that I have trapped and keep inside (so I am able to put the antibiotics in their individual dishes); for the ones outside, they get sicker but they do pull through with extra support of L-Lysine, marshmallow root, slippery elm and BeneBac Plus.
You are an answer to prayers for the rescuers of those kittens! One of the most rewarding, noble ways to honor our departed kitties is to help another in need. It isn't the same kitty, nor the same relationship, but I find it very healing and love flourishes and blooms like the desert badlands do - after the worst storms.