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Original poster

fiv cat with non fiv cat

23 replies

MrsMoggy · 13/03/2017 11:18

Ok so bit of a long story here...

I donated some car boot items the other day to a local lady who rescues ferals and strays. We were discussing indoor cats and she said she had a two year old male (neutered) who was FIV+ and looking for a home. I already have an indoor cat at home who doesn't have the disease.

She asked me if I would consider fostering or adopting this cat. I rang the vets to make enquiries about vaccinations etc that would be required for the new cat if I was to agree. The vet was very negative and basically told me my other cat would definitely get the disease, that no cattery would take the cat and that they wouldn't bother to vaccinate it. Really appalled by this attitude actually as from what I've read there is a very small chance of two cats living together catching the disease from one another.

Anyway I expressed these concerns to the lady at the rescue. She offered to take the cat in if I was to go on holiday as no catteries she'd tried would accept an FIV cat. I also expressed concern about my current cat as she has a gammy eye/nose situation that flares up regularly and I am concerned that this is a recurring virus that may infect the FIV cat. The FIV cat has had immune boosters and has been looking after his kittens who have had cat flu and other respiratory conditions which he has so far not caught.

To try and summarise I'm looking for any advice on the following questions:

Can a FIV and non FIV cat live together without infecting one another with illnesses?
Can you/do you get your FIV cat vaccinated?
Can you get insurance for an FIV cat and is it worthwhile doing so?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 13/03/2017 12:19

To answer the three questions:

Yes an FIV cat can live with non FIV cats with no risk of transmission. Transmission is only through saliva to blood- - so through severe bites. I have always had a number of FIV cats living with my non FIV cats. There has been no transmission. Also, all the FIV cats I have had have lived long healthy lives and died of old age.

Yes it is more important to vaccinate a cat with FIV than one without.

I don't know about insurance. I imagine it wouldn't pay out for anything FIV related, but still fine for accidents etc. That's just a guess though.

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 13/03/2017 12:31

Thank you for the response catneuterer

I'd have to have a think about insurance I suppose.

I thought the same about vaccinations being even more important for FIV cats but was confused then by the vet saying they wouldn't bother and the lady at this rescue said she wouldn't vaccinate as you are introducing the virus into an immunocompromised situation.
My current indoor cat is vaccinated and up to date but this is more so that she is allowed into the cattery. They would both be indoor cats with no other pets in the immediate family so the likelihood of them being exposed to viruses or diseases is slim.

I'm finding it quite difficult as the cat looks great and has a lovely temperament and good with children. But I also would like to be able to go on holiday (mainly been told that catteries wont accept fiv cats) and not worry about the two cats transmitting things between each other.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 13/03/2017 14:02

I have never heard of catteries not accepting FIV cats. How would they even know?! They have rules that a cat must have an up to date vaccination certificate, but that's it. You don't have to show any certificates that they are FIV free. And FIV is so difficult to pass on that it would be silly of them to have that rule.

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 13/03/2017 14:19

That's true I suppose you wouldn't have to tell them. I'm just really confused because of how damning the vet was about it. I've finally talked my husband round to the possibility of fostering it but I'm scared for the implications for my current cat if that makes sense.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 13/03/2017 14:27

There really are no implications for your current cat. There are in fact probably very few implications for the FIV cat. As I said, most FIV cats live happy and healthy lives until they eventually die of something not FIV related.

thecatneuterer · 13/03/2017 14:29

Here is information on FIV from the rescue/vet organisation I'm with

www.celiahammond.org/index.php/faqs/fiv-cats

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 13/03/2017 14:37

That was a great read thank you thecatneuterer. I think we will go and meet the cat and look into just fostering him for now while we see if he could get along with our cat and our 4 year old son, as we would for any cat FIV or not. Then if everything goes well we can look into the implications of adopting and insuring him and arranging vaccinations and solving any cattery problems. Thank you again, all I've heard is negativity so far and it's good to hear of the positives.

OP posts:
hollinhurst84 · 13/03/2017 14:38

Ask if the FIV was found on a snap test or full blood tests too. Snap tests can be wrong (as I found out when adopting an FIV cat. That doesn't have FIV)

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 13/03/2017 14:49

Thank you hollinhurst I will do that. It's a very small rescue basically one lady taking in ferals and strays that she traps particularly on one of the 'rough' estates not far from me. This cat was found in a shed looking after his 3 kittens even though hes still young himself

OP posts:
Vinorosso74 · 13/03/2017 18:04

That vet can't be that clued up on FIV so I think I would be looking for a new vet. I second making sure the full FIV test has been done (at my CP training they did say quite a lot of positives turn out to be negatives but not the other way).

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 13/03/2017 18:27

I wouldn't be using that vet again no. We are going to visit the cat tonight with the view to fostering in the short term while we are looking into it all

OP posts:
shouldwestayorshouldwego · 13/03/2017 19:19

Re cattery we have someone to come in and feed our duo. Works out cheaper than cattery for us and they stay in their own domain.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 13/03/2017 19:26

I have a FIV+ chap. I just wanted to let you know that his vet has said nothing negative about his FIV, just that there was no point in vaccinating against FelV (I think that's the one) but he is vaccinated against the airborne viruses.

They'll be a decent vet out there for him. Smile

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 13/03/2017 20:07

Been to look at him tonight, what a big softy he was. He's coming on Friday and we will be fostering him for now and seeing how things go. The lady has recommended a vet so I will be speaking to them if we go ahead and adopt him. My son is in love with him already

OP posts:
YesItsMeIDontCare · 13/03/2017 20:20

Photos on Friday then! Grin

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 13/03/2017 21:00

Just hope he and my resident cat get on and then we can keep him!

OP posts:
Vinorosso74 · 13/03/2017 21:20

Paws crossed they get on ok. The FIV cats I've met tend to be big soppy things.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 13/03/2017 22:10

You want to meet mine then Vinorosso, he's a complete nutter!

Vinorosso74 · 13/03/2017 22:17

Haha there's always one.....

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 14/03/2017 10:19

He's now coming on Thursday night. This is a photo of him from the rescue

fiv cat with non fiv cat
OP posts:
Vinorosso74 · 14/03/2017 10:34

Those paws! He's lovely.

Original poster
MrsMoggy · 14/03/2017 16:27

Does anyone have any advice on introducing him to resident cat? We have a small house so if he needs his own space for a while we would have to put him in the toy/box room

OP posts:
Vinorosso74 · 14/03/2017 17:02

I think the Cats Protection website has some info. Am sure some other posters will have some tips.

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