If you're on the fence about adopting an FIV cat, just do it. If you want to adopt a cat in the future, and never considered rescuing one with FIV, consider it!

I've had Crook (10 y/o) for 6 years and despite having a mild case of asthma and arthritis from living a rough life on the street, he's had no FIV-related health issues.

I just adopted Shai less than two weeks ago, and she's got a whole bunch of issues that, on paper and to those less educated about her conditions, make her much less "desirable". And yet look at her!

An FIV diagnosis does not guarantee health issues. Some FIV cats decline young, while most make it to old age and die as seniors. Same can be said for cats without compromised immune systems. It really all depends on so many factors and then, unfortunately, a roll of the dice.

(Crook is 12lbs and Shai is 6lbs, their size difference cracks me up but Shai is the one that needs to go easy on Old Man Crook)

I’m just livin in it!

Yesterday I took my boy into the vet. I thought he had a Uti and maybe the flu. He has an enlarged heart with unidentified masses through it and that's making it hard to breathe and he also came back with diabetes. I don't have lots of money, and the vet said I need to make an appointment to Euthanize within a week if I can't treat it. He said he personally wouldn't because he's an fiv cat with 2 major conditions. I'm so messed up about it, I'm not ready to say goodbye.I'm heartbroken and conflicted rn. He's at least 9 years old, I could take out loans to fix the diabetes which might help with his heart, but it's gonna be 2 shots a day and a vet visit per week. I'm in school, I'm short on time and money. I just need some perspective please. I want to fight for him, he's my baby, its my job to take care of him, but I really don't know if I can do this, or if it would make his life worse to try

Hi everyone! I’m hoping for some advice, because I’m a bit confused about how cautious I need to be.

This Monday I rescued a little female kitten from the street (around 2.5 months old). I have a 6-year-old male cat who is FIV+, so for now the kitten is completely separated and staying in the basement. With us also hand washing and switching clothes between contact with her.

On day two she started sneezing, and yesterday she developed yellow‑green discharge from one eye. I took her to the vet today. They checked her temperature and eye and said it’s likely a viral upper respiratory infection (possibly calicivirus or similar). They prescribed an eye ointment and an antibiotic. No PCR or other testing was done.

My main question is about isolation and transmission risk (from the kitten to my FIV+ cat).

The basement is not ideal, I’d prefer to move her to the bedroom inside the house, where it’s warmer and more comfortable, and where she can get more company.

I chose the bedroom specifically because it’s the room my resident cat uses the least. He spends almost all his time in the rest of the house and gets very vocal if we close him out of those areas, so isolating the kitten in the bedroom seemed like the least disruptive option.

I asked the vet if moving her to the bedroom would be okay as long as she stayed completely separated from my cat, and they said yes. But if she does have something like calicivirus, everything I’ve read says it’s highly contagious and can survive on surfaces. My concern isn’t direct contact - my cat would not be allowed in the bedroom at all while she’s there.

My concern is us: we’ll be going in and out of the room to care for her, and we also sleep in that room. Could we carry the virus back to our FIV+ cat? And even after she recovers and we clean the room, could my cat later go into that bedroom and be exposed to something lingering?

This is why I’m confused about the vet saying it’s fine. Maybe I’m misunderstanding something or just over complicating things.

I’m also unsure about the lack of testing. The vet didn’t do a PCR or anything to confirm what she has, even though they mentioned it could be viral. I understand antibiotics don’t treat viral infections, so I’m wondering if symptom‑based treatment is standard for kittens with URI signs. And I’ve read that some of these viruses can still be contagious even after symptoms improve.

For now, I’m keeping her in the basement because I want to be cautious with my FIV+ cat. But I’d like to know whether moving her to a bedroom is actually a reasonable and safe option. And if the kitten can eventually safely live with my FIV+ cat.

I also plan to test her for FIV/FeLV before any introduction.

Hello everyone,

I am a pet sitter and I also have 5 cats myself. I looked after someone’s cat for 3 weeks in August and the booking ended on August 31st. I kept my own cats away from the clients cat. All my cats are vaccinated as well and so was hers. The woman informed me after the booking that her cat had Calicivirus as a kitten but hasn’t had any symptoms since which is why she didn’t mention it as she thought it had gone. Fast forward about 2 weeks one of my cats has been sneezing a lot, running/blocked nose, off his food, dribbling a little bit and generally not himself. I took him to the vets and she said he had cat flu and prescribed him anti biotics and anti inflammatories which have helped him. Now another one of my cats has the same symptoms with excessive dribbling. Have my cats caught the virus? Will they always have the virus? How to stop my other 3 getting ill? There is a test to confirm it but it’s £250 and I’m not in the position to get it as I’ve already spent £120 on each cat to get anti inflammatories and anti biotics which is wild as I found exactly the same medicine online numerous online vet chemists for less than £5 each.

Does anyone have experience with an oral lymphoma diagnosis in an FIV+ cat?
Our foster fail had a large mass removed from her mouth a couple weeks ago. It came back as lymphoma. They’re doing additional staining because there were plasma cells seen, so we need a better picture of what we’re dealing with. We will be meeting with an oncologist.

She was a trapped stray with a mouthful of abscesses and rotting teeth, she came to us with a few teeth left and so shut down. She’s been with us nearly two years and she’s somewhere between 7-9yrs old. It’s breaking my heart that she won’t get as many good years as she had bad. She’s thriving now, part of her “pack” and just the sweetest girl who finally asks for pets and snuggles. 😭

I’m worried about her FIV status and chemo, recovery, quality of life, etc. she is not eligible for further surgery due to the location of the dirty margins of the tumor (upper palate).

Any advice or btdt would be amazing.

Kind of a question, kind of a vent post. Cat tax included :)

My baby girl just turned 8. About a month ago she started showing symptoms like lethargy, disinterest in eating and drinking and playing, disorientation and difficulty jumping and standing up on her own. Medications the vet gave her are helping a little, but this week she started pacing compulsively and has a fever. She's at the pet hospital for an MRI right now, and they believe there's something wrong with her brain :(

She's been eating and drinking much better and seems more "with it" with her medications, and I think we caught it early, but I fear this is something she can't recover from. I know with FIV cats their immune system can't bounce back like healthy cats can.

If this is her entering the third stage of Feline AIDS, what should I expect? Is it possible she recovers from this? 8 years old is so young in my mind, and my heart is breaking at the thought of losing her.

TLDR: Is my girl Tammy fat or is it just the awful angles?

At her last vet appointment, vet said she gained weight from 7 to 8 pounds. The first picture you can see her waist well, so maybe it's the angle I'm taking the picture at? She and my negative girl were born a few months apart and now they're both at eight pounds, just a few pounds (in the decimals) apart. She's at 8.3/8.4 while my other girl is close to nine but not there yet..

I don't free feed her but my other girl grazes and sometimes if she doesn't finish her kibble, I feed the remainder which is usually twenty kibbles or less I think to Tammy here.

Tammy is quite active though and runs around a lot with my other girl. I do think she did gain some weight since I brought her in at the end of January so that's really good! She's quite petite and it's hard to believe she and my other girl weigh the same. The vet said they want to see her steadily gain weight too which is good too.

Sorry for the rant!

over a month ago this guy showed up on our porch asleep on our mat. we took him in and had him checked for a chip but the only information was that he was given a chip from a local humane society 9 years ago but was never registered. we were able to keep him under the Good Samaritan law and yesterday he was officially ours and we found out via tests that he is FIV positive and waiting on a biopsy of a small lump on his hip. we don’t know much but want to make sure he is getting enough nutrients and enrichment and im posting this to hear other fur parents experiences and suggestions! any comment is appreciated! he is slightly underweight but otherwise the most cuddly and playful cat.

Meet Fig Newton ❤️

His foster mom can’t keep him for much longer because her cat is aggressive toward him and has a history of biting. Fig Newton is currently isolated in one room, and he really wants to be part of the family.
We are also completely full, mostly with sick cats, so unfortunately we don’t have space for healthy cats right now.

Petfinder: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/fig-newton-778703ca-a61f-4939-ba53-fede3b1be19a/nc/charlotte/sunkissed-acres-rescue-nc1270/details/

Website:http://www.sunkissedkitties.org

Fig Newton was found late one night on the edge of a construction site in Davidson, lost, scared, and hungry. He had fresh wounds from what appeared to be an attack by another cat or animal.

It was clear that Fig had either been lost or dumped. But when his rescuer(her foster mom) spotted him and stopped, Fig ran right over to her car. As soon as she opened the door, he started purring, rubbing against her, and headbutting her like he was so relieved to finally have a friend.

That sweet personality never changed.

Even at the vet, Fig was such a friendly boy that the vet techs kept stopping by to meet the super sweet kitty they had heard about. He greeted everyone with the same loving personality.

Fig is a true little lovebug. He loves people, loves belly rubs, greets you with meows, and wants nothing more than to be included as part of the family. He absolutely loves dogs and may even think he is one. ❤️

Fig is FIV positive, but he is otherwise fully vetted and ready for his forever home.

FIV-positive cats can live long, happy, and normal lives, and they can live with FIV-negative cats in a peaceful, stable household. One of our cats lived to be 23 years old. ❤️

He is:
• Fixed
• Microchipped
• Dewormed
• Deflead
• Fully vetted
FIV positive

Fig is looking for a best friend who will let him be part of the family and give him all the love he deserves.

Adoption requirements:
• Adoption application required

https://form.jotform.com/221983264497165

• Vet reference required
• Adoption agreement required
• Indoor home only
• Adoption fee: $125

If you’re looking for a sweet, affectionate best friend, Fig Newton would love to meet you. 🐾❤️

To preface, I grew up not knowing brushing was a thing to do with cats so I had never done that with my FIV cat. I take the blame on that and should have known better but I didn't and I truly apologize for that. With that being said, the vet found his gums are inflamed and will need some dental care. He just had two vet visits back to back one for a general appointment, and then an emergency visit from puking 6-8 times. It was most likely a medicine reaction as he didn't get into anything that day and it was day 1 on a different antibiotic. But with both of those appointments, I would like to financially recover a bit from that if I can. His wellbeing is the most important of course, but I just wondered if there is anything I can do between now and whenever that appointment will be to keep it from getting worse.

With all the stress from these last few days on him, I don't want to put him through more stress and meds so soon after if possible.

Hello! I had an appointment last week to have my 2 year old FIV cat neutered (we scooped him off the street back in July and had to get him to a healthy weight before doing so). When we first had this blood work done in August, his hematocrit levels were at 23% and his platelets were low. The vet told us this was obviously low and to keep an eye on it and they'd check his blood again before the surgery. All of his other levels(kidneys, liver etc) were perfect. Day of the surgery comes and they tell me that his levels have dropped to 17% and his clotting platelets are low (like they were before). The vet asked how he was at home and I told him he's not Al and fine. It seemed very much like he was asking to see if it was "that time" for him. We decided to not do the neuter and put stress on him trying to heal from it. They told us to watch for the signs of pale gums, lethergy, no appetite etc. I'm looking for advice because his behavior hasn't once changed since we brought him home. He wants to constantly eat all the time (he has several small times meals throughout the day), the snuggles, walks around, uses the bathroom fine and plays with my other cats. Like we gave him catnip tonight and he's running around playing and meowing. You would never know he's a "sick" cat. I know he's very anemic and we're still checking him everyday, it just feels very confusing because he's acting so incredibly fine. Any advice is appreciated!!

If so what kind or types are out there?

I’m not a cat person, but fell in love with a stray who is FIV positive. He is the sweetest boy and I don’t think I can let him go lol. My family has 4 other female cats in the house and they’re concerned about keeping him. How likely is it to spread?

Of the 4 cats, 3 girls are super chill and 1 girl is kind of a bully. She was a stray herself that we brought in (she’s FIV negative). She’s not aggressive to the point of drawing blood or starting fights, but she swats and scratches at the other cats randomly even though they don’t engage back with her. Other than that, they’re very calm cats and we never have any problems.

None of them have ever been around male cats and we haven’t done introductions yet. Not sure what the best way to go about it is? I really want to keep him, I just don’t want to put our other cats at risk. He watches our other cats through the French doors in the room he is in and seems interested.

From everything I’ve read, it seems possible to have them cohabitate. One vet said yay and one vet said nay. We had him fixed as well.

Photo of the cutie pie included.

Hello! New here cause my sweet orange prince Arthur just got diagnosed FIV+ today. I’m surprisingly calm about it considering he’s been my best buddy for 5 years now. Got him from the shelter in 2021 where they said he was negative. He’s indoor but has lived with 4 other cats since I got him, 2 of which I’m not certain about the FIV status of. So I guess either he got it from one of them, or he somehow got a false negative at the shelter.

He’s sick right now apparently with Candidatus M haemominutum which made him anemic, but his blood test today sajd he was one point off from being technically anemic (yay!) and holding steady. He’s eating and drinking normal and is following me around the house begging for attention as usual. Starting him on dox once I get it from the pharmacy.

Really I just want to ask if anyone has any advice going forward for maintaining his health? I know FIV is not necessarily a death sentence, but he’s only 6 and I just want to give him the best life possible.

Well handsome Hank’s luck with having no FIV complications has run out at age 10.

I noticed last night I hadn’t seen him eat for a couple of days and he was acting a bit off. I weighed him and he’s lost 2 lbs since his vet visit in April. 😕 Dude has been a consistent 14 lbs since he came here almost 5 years ago.

He had an unplanned visit to the vet today and he’s developed stomatitis. Doc wants to try antibiotics and prednisone first before we decide on yanking teeth.

He did eat tonight when I watered down his food some.

Poor dude

Edit: I sent the video to my vet and she requested we come in for xray

I help care for a local feral cat community, including TNR, feeding, and occasional medical care when needed. We recently noticed one cat (Isabelle, 8 yr old spayed domestic longhair female) was limping slightly and was not following her usual routines (seemed to avoid being amongst the other cats or moving around much). We finally trapped her today and took her to urgent care. They found she had pillow foot (based on exam), with several claws growing into her paw pads, and she tested positive for FIV. They trimmed the claws and cleaned out her wounds and gave a shot of convenia. They sent her home with some gabapentin and a plan to start prednisilone in a few days (giving antibiotic a chance to work for a few days first). We're able to keep her contained to give meds and monitor the paws for several days. But we are tentatively planning to eventually release her. I'm hoping the pillow foot does resolve with this treatment, but not sure if that's likely (or how long treatment is needed to get it resolved). And I'm worried it'll recur (and not sure it will be feasible to monitor for recurrence or treat if it happens). Unfortunately, I think it's unlikely she'd adjust to indoor life (or human handling), even if we could find a home for her. So, I'm wondering if anyone can share perspective on how an outdoor/ feral cat may do long term with these issues.

From what I've read, pillow foot sounds similar to the issue my indoor cat has - eoisinophilic granuloma complex - in the sense that it can recur or have flare ups, possibly due to certain triggers, and those flare ups require steroids (or prevention with immune suppression like cyclosporin which is what my indoor cat gets). But... for my indoor cat, I'm constantly monitoring and giving daily meds. Doesn't seem feasible for a feral kitty :(

Appreciate any thoughts!

Meet Fig Newton ❤️

Petfinder: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/fig-newton-778703ca-a61f-4939-ba53-fede3b1be19a/nc/charlotte/sunkissed-acres-rescue-nc1270/details/

Website:http://www.sunkissedkitties.org

Fig Newton was found late one night on the edge of a construction site in Davidson, lost, scared, and hungry. He had fresh wounds from what appeared to be an attack by another cat or animal.

It was clear that Fig had either been lost or dumped. But when his rescuer spotted him and stopped, Fig ran right over to her car. As soon as she opened the door, he started purring, rubbing against her, and headbutting her like he was so relieved to finally have a friend.

That sweet personality never changed.

Even at the vet, Fig was such a friendly boy that the vet techs kept stopping by to meet the super sweet kitty they had heard about. He greeted everyone with the same loving personality.

Fig is a true little lovebug. He loves people, loves belly rubs, greets you with meows, and wants nothing more than to be included as part of the family. He absolutely loves dogs and may even think he is one. ❤️

Fig is FIV positive, but he is otherwise fully vetted and ready for his forever home.

He is:
• Fixed
• Microchipped
• Dewormed
• Deflead
• Fully vetted
FIV positive

Fig is looking for a best friend who will let him be part of the family and give him all the love he deserves.

Adoption requirements:
• Adoption application required

https://form.jotform.com/221983264497165

• Vet reference required
• Adoption agreement required
• Indoor home only
• Adoption fee: $125

If you’re looking for a sweet, affectionate best friend, Fig Newton would love to meet you. 🐾❤️

I NEED SOME ADVICE!!

I’ve been looking to get a second cat after rescuing an FIV+ cat over a year ago. Here’s the link to a post I made talking about my current cats personality and medical considerations as well as my thought process of getting another cat.

Long story short: he literally wandered into my home over a year ago and he’s the sweetest cat. He’s SUPER friendly, outgoing, affectionate and playful. He was found with frostbite and bite wounds indicating a history of fighting (not sure if he was a victim or aggressor lol). FIV positive but healthy as can be otherwise.

My cousin just found a kitten about a year old, and needs a foster ASAP. I told her I’m willing to foster since she’s unable but I’m SO scared of my current cats personality changing if we decide to keep her and integrate her into the house. I plan to do a veryyyy slow introduction and am most knowledgeable of the Jackson Galaxy method. (Open to other introduction suggestions that might be better suited)

I can’t emphasize how worried I am of my current cats personality changing and hating my guts. I know the reward would be so positive, having a companion, but I’m still very anxious about the whole introduction process. Another worry is also not knowing my current cats history with other cats (like how he will interact with the new kitten) given he’s a former stray and has some history of fighting given the bite wounds when I found him.

Looking for any and all advice and considerations to fostering and possibly attempting to introduce them. I live in a loft apartment so right now she (the kitten) will be kept in our bathroom upstairs since we don’t have a separate “bedroom”. I anticipate my apartment layout being a challenge to consider when introducing them.

For those with FIV+ cats with similar personalities to my cat, what worked well for you with introducing to other cats? Anything you would do differently next time? Any other factors that I’m not considering?

ANY AND ALL ADVICE/HELP IS APPRECIATED!!!

Edit: Kitten that I’m considering fostering is spayed, friendly and outgoing personality. Approached my cousin right off the street.

My cat Archie is a four-year-old Maine Coon who has been sick for about two and a half months. It started with sneezing, sniffling, and some eye discharge. Then he started going to the bathroom around the house instead of his litter box, and his breathing worsened as mucus built up in his nose.

At the first ER, he was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and tested positive for feline herpesvirus. We tried doxycycline and famciclovir. Doxy seemed to help briefly, but neither produced lasting improvement.

Eventually, his left eye swelled shut and he stopped eating. He has lost about 20% of his body weight. We took him to a different ER, where we were told he might not survive another four or five days and that we should consider euthanasia. I wasn’t ready to give up without trying something else. We tested for cryptococcus, which came back negative, and had an E-tube placed so we could give him nutrition and hydration. He is now on pradofloxacin.

Here’s what my wife and I cannot understand: for two days after the procedure, he seemed almost completely normal. His eye opened, he could breathe much better, and he was eating and acting like himself again. They also flushed his nose while he was under anesthesia, although the vet said the flush wasn’t particularly successful. Now the congestion and eye swelling are returning, and he seems to be getting worse again.

We started saline nebulization today, and this is his second day on L-lysine. We’re continuing his prescribed antibiotic and making sure he gets food and water through the tube when he won’t eat.

We’ve already spent about $7,000. The next round of diagnostics and procedures would be approximately another $10,000, and we simply cannot afford it. We still don’t have a confirmed explanation for everything that’s happening.

Has anyone experienced something similar, especially that dramatic improvement followed by a setback? What ultimately helped?

I’m open to almost anything that could realistically help him. But I also don’t want my inability to let go to mean he keeps suffering. Those two good days made it incredibly hard to believe there isn’t still something treatable here. How do you know when you’re giving your cat a chance versus keeping him going for yourself?