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“FIV” stands for “feline immunodeficiency virus” just as
“HIV” stands for “human immunodeficiency virus.” In
fact, these two viruses are closely related and much of
the general information that has become common knowledge
for HIV also holds true for FIV.
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FIV is a virus that causes AIDS in cats; however, there
is a long asymptomatic period before AIDS occurs and our
job is to prolong this asymptomatic period. The average
life expectancy from the time of diagnosis for FIV is 5
years. Humans cannot be infected with FIV; FIV is a
“cats-only” infection.
HOW IS DIAGNOSIS MADE?
Most of the time FIV infection is discovered using a
screening test performed in your vet’s office or on a
blood panel run at your veterinarian’s reference
laboratory. Once a cat has been identified as positive
by a screening test, a follow-up confirming test called
a “Western Blot” test is the next step. Once this test
is positive, the cat is considered to be truly infected.
It should be noted that administration of the new
vaccine recently released for commercial use will cause
a cat to test positive on both of the above tests. We do
not currently do have a test that will distinguish a
vaccinated cat from a truly positive cat.
HOW DID MY CAT GET INFECTED?
The major route of virus transmission is by the deep
bite wounds that occur during fighting. There are other
means of spreading the virus but they are less common.
Mother cats cannot readily infect their kittens (except
in the initial stages of infection). FIV can be
transmitted sexually and via improperly screened blood
transfusions. Casual contact such as sharing food bowls,
or snuggling is very unlikely to be associated with
transmission.
Isolation of an FIV+ cat is not necessary in a stable
household
unless the FIV+ cat is likely to fight with the other
residents.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Some lifestyle changes will probably be needed now that
you know you have an FIV+ cat.
KEEP YOUR CAT INDOORS ONLY
Now that you know your cat has an infectious disease,
the responsible thing is to prevent the spread of this
disease in your community. This means that your cat will
need to begin life as an indoor cat. Cats who are used
to living outdoors will make a fuss about being allowed
outside. It is crucial that you do not give in as this
will simply reinforce the crying and fussing. If you
just allow the fussing to run its course, it will cease
and the cat will get used to its new indoor only life.
Cats who are inclined to slip past people entering the
home when the door is open can be managed by leaving
them in a closed room when someone is out of the house.
This way, when the person arrives home, the cat does not
have access to the front door.
NO RAW FOODS
There are currently numerous fad diets involving raw
foods for pets. It is crucial that one not succumb to
these popular recommendations when it comes to the FIV+
cat. Uncooked foods, meats especially, can include
parasites and pathogens that a cat with a normal immune
system might be able to handle but an FIV+ cat might
not. Stick to the major reputable cat food brands.
VACCINATION
Vaccination should be continued for these cats just as
they are for other cats. Some experts recommend using
only killed vaccines to avoid any possible reversion to
virulence of the live vaccine virus strains. This has
not panned out as a problem in reality plus the killed
vaccines have been associated with vaccine-associated
fibrosarcomas, an additional problem an FIV+ cat does
not need. We still recommend live virus vaccines for FIV+
cats just as we do for FIV- cats.
PARASITE CONTROL
The last thing an FIV+ cat needs is fleas, worms or
mites, especially now that he is going to be an indoor
cat. There are numerous effective products on the market
for parasite control. Consult with your vet about which
parasites you should be especially concerned with and
which product is right for you.
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