Many cats will isolate themselves when they sense death is close. All shelters should implement programs that help find homes for adoptable cats who test positive for FIV. Especially in areas where there are not many cats, infected females pose less of a risk, as they tend not to roam and they fight less. Providing these hiding places can be particularly important if you have more than one cat or a dog in the home. Our sanctuary in the country currently has forty-three long-term FIV positive cats living amongst the other feline residents. If the cat has pain (dental, arthritic, or abdominal are the most common in older pets) then it may inhibit her from eating because it hurts to get up and do so. In short: It can compromise the immune system. Many shelters already have model programs that can be used as blueprints. However, you can also look at things the other way round. Alley Cat Allies has protected and improved the lives of cats for 30 years. The goal is to keep your friend with you for as long as they are comfortable, but let them go if they are in pain. CHAT strongly disagrees with the policy of some charities and veterinary surgeons who automatically euthanase or recommend euthanasia for healthy cats when an FIV positive result is obtained. This test, also called an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), provides a quick diagnosis during the same visit in which the cat was tested. At CHAT, we are regularly approached for advice from people all over the country who have discovered that their pets or strays they feed are, although healthy, FIV positive and find themselves under considerable pressure to euthanase the cats. Previously vaccinated cats will remain among the cat population and could also travel from locations where Fel-O-Vax is still in use to the U.S. and Canada. You can put them together â understanding the risks, keep them separate, or find someone with another FIV positive cat that may want a companion. Consider your cat's weight and ability to eat. If a cat has symptoms suggesting FIV, we will test for this. The second thing to remember is that it is better to let the cat pass early, rather than do nothing and watch the cat deteriorate. All Rights Reserved. There is no way I want to know or see her have to suffer now at the end. An article that might be helpful to you is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Thanks! Regular blood tests over the last twelve years have shown that they have not infected the FIV negative cats, even though they spend much time grooming each other and sharing food bowls and litter trays. I know he is in pain, I can see it. Un-neutered male cats are considerably more at risk of getting FIV because a single bite may be enough to infect a cat. If it is not known whether the mother is infected, it is best to wait until a kitten is older than 20 weeks before testing. The virus passes from cat to cat in saliva, usually through biting in fights. Any recurrent illnesses may suggest that the cat has FIV – or another virus, such as FeLV . If your cat has not used a litter tray select a soft litter and leave your cat in the same room as the litter tray until he has used it. My cat has a cancerous tumor in her ear. This article has been viewed 264,910 times. If there is any doubt, blood tests to find the virus itself can be done, but because the amount of virus in the bloodstream is small, special tests are needed, and false positives and negatives can still occur. Euthanizing is for if the cat is medically ill. You should not euthanize a healthy cat. I will so miss her after 20, "It's a hard thing to do but now I can see that it's nearing the time to end her life. Consider this unfortunately common occurrence: A cat with no signs of health issues is brought to an animal shelter. CHAT blood tests cats for diagnostic purposes and not for screening healthy cats. Ideally, all FIV-positive cats should be isolated or rehomed where there will be no contact with other cats. They are also more likely to get some types of cancer.