FIV Kitties

Every now and then, we encounter special needs cats in the process of our work who desperately need a permanent home where special care and love can ensure they live a long, happy, healthy life. Because there are an abundance of myths out there about certain cat diseases, in particular Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), below is a list of facts about the disease. If you have further questions, please contact us at feralcatcaregivers@yahoo.com or kittycrusadersofathens@gmail.com. If you're interested in adopting a cat with special needs, please view our Adoptions page or contact us directly because not all of our adoptables are always posted immediately online.

Read about the success story of Ming, our last adopted FIV kitty!

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

1. The Feline Immuno-deficiency Virus is a slow virus that affects a cat's immune system over a period of years.

2. FIV is a cat-only disease and cannot be spread to humans or other non-felines.

3. FIV cats most often live long, healthy, and relatively normal lives with no symptoms at all.

4. FIV is not typically spread by casual contact - as in sharing litter boxes, water and food bowls, etc.

5. The virus can be spread through blood transfusions, badly infected gums, or serious, penetrating bite wounds. (Bite wounds of this kind are extremely rare, except in free-roaming, unneutered tomcats.)

6. A neutered cat, in a home, is unlikely to infect other cats, if properly introduced.

7. Many vets are not educated about FIV since the virus was only discovered 15 years ago.

8. FIV-positive cats should be kept as healthy as possible. Keep them indoors and free from stress, feed them a high-quality diet, keep and treat any secondary problems as soon as they arise.

Source: Best Friends Animal Network (http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/cats_FIV.cfm)