FIV question

[Condo commando]

So I volunteered with a local rescue group to foster cats that are waiting to be adopted. They offered me a cat that tested positive for FIV. I know nothing about this disease. The foster will be in a separate room by himself. I will go in the room to feed him and play with him but he's not going to be allowed outside of that room and my 3 Sphynxes won't be allowed in. Will this be safe or should I say no?

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Hoping this might be helpful Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
There is a normal risk

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[pussiette]

I don't think there is a vaccine against FIV.

There is currently no vaccine commercially available in North America to protect against FIV, so the best way to reduce risk is to limit contact with cats who may be infected with the disease by keeping cats indoors and testing all cats within the household.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Suggested Articles On the lookout for FIV Ask Elizabeth: Can I catch FIV from my cat? Feline Vision Problems: A Host of Possible Causes

www.vet.cornell.edu

It can be transmitted like this:

Prevention

The only sure way to protect cats is to prevent their exposure to the virus. Cat bites are the major means by which infection is transmitted, so keeping cats indoors, away from potentially infected cats that might bite them, markedly reduces their likelihood of contracting FIV infection. To reduce the chance of indoor cats becoming infected, it is ideal to assure that only infection-free cats are brought into a household occupied by uninfected cats. In some cases, separation of infected from non-infected cats is possible in a household, and this is ideal if infected cats must be brought into occupied by non-infected cats.

Unfortunately, many FIV-infected cats are not diagnosed until after they have lived for years with other cats. In such cases, all the other cats in the household should be tested. Ideally, all infected cats should be separated from the non-infected ones to eliminate the potential for FIV transmission. It is important to realize, however, that since FIV is transmitted primarily by bite wounds, transmission from an infected cat to an uninfected cat is much less likely in households that have stable social structures (i.e., households in which cats do not fight).

FIV will not survive for more than a few hours in most environments. However, FIV-infected cats are frequently infected with other infectious agents that may pose some threat to a newcomer. For these reasons, to minimize transmission of FIV and other infectious diseases to a cat that is brought into an environment in which an FIV-positive cat has lived, prudence dictates a thorough cleaning and disinfection or replacement of food and water dishes, bedding, litter pans, and toys. A dilute solution of household bleach (four ounces of bleach in 1 gallon of water) makes an excellent disinfectant. Vacuuming carpets and mopping floors with an appropriate cleanser are also recommended. Any new cats or kittens should be properly vaccinated against other infectious agents before entering the household.

So it looks like it's high risk and not preventable by vaccine.

 

[Condo commando]

This is tough, I'm being told that as long as the cats are kept separate I won't have a problem. The foster cat will be in a separate room with his own litter box, feeding bowls, etc.

 

[Bailey21]

If hes kept separate I would say go ahead and do it!

 

[Toa and Ross]

I think it's great of you to consider taking this cat. If you can keep him separate I would go for it. Every cat deserves a loving home!

 

[pussiette]

So my question is - is this a permanent arrangement? If so and if he has FIV how will you stop your other cats getting FIV?

 

[Condo commando]

Thanks guys. He'll be in his own room with his own things so I think it will be OK.

 

[Condo commando]

So my question is - is this a permanent arrangement? If so and if he has FIV how will you stop your other cats getting FIV?

Oh no!!!! It should only be a few weeks. This is a group that rescues cats and finds homes for them. I will probably have him for a few weeks.

 

[pussiette]

Personally I would be making sure I understand and I’m comfortable with the risk I think those articles are really helpful.

 

[Condo commando]

Personally I would be making sure I understand and I’m comfortable with the risk I think those articles are really helpful.

Comfortable is a bit of a stretch. I'm going to treat this like an unexploded grenade. This is my first time fostering and after this I'll decide if it's for me or not.

 

[pussiette]

Maybe you answered your own question....

 

[Condo commando]

Maybe you answered your own question....

The way I look at it, there is always a risk. Consider this - the foster cat that I'm getting was tested for FIV because he was having trouble chewing. If not for that, he wouldn't have been tested, but he would still have been positive.

 

[Yoda mom]

@Condo commando , please keep us updated. agree there is always a risk. I personally would ask your vet about possibilities of transmission to your babies even if kept in a separate room. name ? update pics? when are you bringing him home?

Transmitting FIV
First and foremost, only cats can contract FIV. The virus is primarily transmitted through bite wounds, and it can also be spread through blood. Although any feline is susceptible, un-neutered, outdoor males have the highest risk of being infected because of their propensity to fight. FIV is not usually transmitted through mating. Dr. Woyma explains, “Unlike HIV, it [FIV] is not typically spread through sexual contact and also very rarely transmitted from a mother cat to her kittens.” FIV is also rarely transmitted through casual contact, like sharing food bowls and litter boxes, social grooming, and sneezing. The unlikelihood of transmission, however, does not mean transmission isn’t possible and pet owners should always err on the side of caution.

 

[Condo commando]

@Yoda mom the problem with the stuff posted online is they always give you the worst case scenario.

 

[Beckinboots]

I'm no expert but had limited experience with an FIV positive feral cat that moved into our garden. We didn't know he had FIV at the time but as he kept stealing our cats' food and was attacking Ninja on a regular basis we decided to trap him, get him neutered and adopt him. Unfortunately because he was a stray, when the vet tested him and he was positive they just put him to sleep; didn't bother checking with us whether we wanted him with the disease (we did). I was devastated that we'd unknowingly sent him to his death. Anyway, long story short, we got Ninja tested because he'd been attacked several times and had scratches and bites marks on him from the FIV cat, however he was negative. We were extremely lucky.

Do the staff at the shelter know that you already have cats? I'm sure that if there was any high risk of yours contracting the disease they would have offered you a different cat to foster.

 

[Condo commando]

Well here's the update. They explained they don't know the history of most of their cats. Some are found abandoned. Some are going to be put to sleep so this group picks them up. For example, timid cats are usually put to sleep because people are looking for outgoing cats to adopt. This group takes in all the timid cats, abused cats, etc. that need time to trust people and become adoptable. They vaccinate them, but unless the cat shows signs of illness that's all they do. The one they have that needs a home now had a problem chewing, which apparently FIV causes this and that's why he was tested. But it's entirely possible that other cats who are also positive never get tested so there are no guarantees.

@Beckinboots thank you for sharing that story.

 

[pussiette]

@Beckinboots hugs

 

[Bailey21]

@Condo commando I'll be waiting for a pic if you decide to foster them!

 

[pussiette]

Any updates?

 

[Condo commando]

Any updates?

From a logical perspective, there isn't much of a risk. It would take the infected cat escaping out of the room and biting one of my cats, and even then as @Beckinboots said one bite doesn't necessarily mean the virus is transmitted. But from a psychological perspective I just decided I couldn't deal with the stress of that .000000001% chance so I said no.

 

[Yoda mom]

@ condo commando, ((hugs))) I understand. I always come back to my job is to keep the ones I have safe. prayers this sweet baby will find a perfect fit foster.

 

[pussiette]

Hugs all round @Condo commando @Yoda mom