FIV+ cat - can you help me please?

[CeliaFate]

My lovely old mog was diagnosed FIV+ yesterday. The vet said to keep him inside to prevent him infecting other cats. Trouble is he's such an outdoor boy, keeping him in would seriously reduce his quality of life, he has a couple of weeks to live in the vet's estimation. Mog's blood count was 11% yesterday and should be in the 30s.
Can anyone recommend a site where I could buy an enclosed run for him - the ones I've seen are too expensive. I had thought I could put up a baby's travel cot in the garden and put him in there to have sunshine and fresh air. He's too weak at the moment to jump out, so I'd supervise him to protect him from other cats. Would that work?
Any help gratefully accepted!

Hate to see a post unanswered....

So sorry about your cat - you must be very upset. Would your cat get stressed in a baby travel cot? Might be better to keep him in than stress him out if he will.

It depends how much you class as too much and how agile your cat still is on what you can get away with as far as an outside enclosure. You could just buy some mesh fence but you're still looking at £40 for 2.5m square enclosure assuming you can put the mesh around without pegs/corner points. Haven't you got an enclosed garden? Maybe a lead? I know it sounds odd but its cheap and you can supervise him without other expensive things. extend it to its maximum and put it on the lock. Do not leave him alone though!

Sorry to disagree with your vet, BUT my friend runs a cat rescue.They only keep the feisty ones housebound. FIV is actually difficult to transmit between cats. It takes a cat bite, your boy would actually have to bite another cat.

Does he fight?

If it were me, I would be letting him go outside. Poor boy would find it very stressful to be kept in when he likes going out.

Yes, he is a fighter. He's neutered, well fed and can stay indoors whenever he likes. I agree with you though, he would find it stressful to be kept in, he loves the garden. I have been letting him out during the day when I'm home, he loves to sunbathe on the decking and I think the pros outweigh the cons. I don't think he'd have the energy to bite anything now, his strength has gone bless him. I keep him in overnight with a litter tray.

I've dealt with a significant number of FIV+ cats in my line of work (rescue) and these are my experiences based on working with my vets and managing FIV+ cats.

First, let me me appologise in advance for a bit of a soap-box rant.. ;) - this rant is caused by years of dealing with vets and rescue people who do not stay up to date with current research on FIV by Dr Diane Addie at Glasgow University...

Unless your boy is already sympomatic (i.e. starting to show issues directly related to FIV) then he has the potential of a good, long quality of life. FIV is NOT a death sentence and PTS is NOT a neccessary option, unless your cat is seriously ill and suffering with full blown symptoms. It is also not common for it to be passed on the FIV -ve cats in the household, unless your cats fight or mate, so any -ve FIV cats are perfectly OK to live alongside an FIV+ cat and share food bowls, beds and blankets. If your vet tells you anything else, they are talking through their arse.

If your cat is NOT a fighter, then the biggest risk to an FIV+ cat is infections from other cats, because obviously his immune system is compromised. i.e. things like Flu, bacterial infections etc. You need to be extra vigilent with sniffles and sneezes, bumps and grazes and if in doubt about anything, VET! IF your cat IS a fighter, then he can pass on FIV in bite wounds. He can also pass it on through sexual contact.

There are a number of things on the market which mean you can game-park/secure your garden, things like Cat fencing but they are expensive.

If he he is happy with "restricted" outdoor access, then continue as you are doing by letting him out when you can supervise at home. The less stress you can give him, the better.

I'm happy to help by PM if you want. I'm not a vet, but I have many years of working in cat rescue, as well as dealing with FIV.

Thanks, Quiet Tiger, I've PM'd you.

My darling Prince is FIV. He stays indoors but that's because he likes the sofa. FIV is very hard to catch - even cats who live with non FIV cats only have a 10 per cent chance of giving it to them.

Let your kitty out, let him out. He deserves some fun in the sun.