More About FIV+ Cats

There is often misconceptions, fear and ignorance on the FIV in cats. We hope this article might shed some light on it:

Sadly, some of the pets least likely to be adopted at animal shelters across the U.S. are kitties with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Shelter experts realize that prospective pet owners are hesitant to adopt an FIV-positive cat, and they’re hoping to change attitudes through increased awareness.

“Due to the fact people just don’t understand it, they’re apprehensive,” says Kathleen Hacker of Shelter Angels Inc. in Bay County, Michigan. “Two years ago with this diagnosis, people would automatically put the cats down. More and more we’re hearing people saying, ‘Oh, I have an FIV cat’.”¹

Risk of Cat-to-Cat Transmission Is Very Low

According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Feline Health Center, in the U.S., approximately 1.5 to 3 percent of otherwise healthy cats are infected with FIV. In sick kitties or those at high risk of infection, the rate is significantly higher at 15 percent or more.²

The disease is most often seen in free-roaming, aggressive male cats. This is because the virus, which is present in saliva and blood, is transmitted primarily through bites. It can’t be spread to people, dogs, or other non-feline pets.

An infected cat can transmit the virus to another kitty, but contrary to what many people believe, it’s a rare occurrence. Transmission requires a deep bite by an infected cat to an uninfected cat.

According to Hacker, “If you have pets who get along, there’s hardly any chance of spreading it amongst a stable group. A small bite or a scratch isn’t going to do it.”

The virus survives for only a brief period of time outside a cat’s body, and it cannot be transmitted indirectly on food, food bowls, toys, bedding, or human clothes, shoes, or hands (this is not the case with feline leukemia, however).

FIV does not appear to be transmitted through sexual contact between cats. However, during mating, male cats often grip the scruff of the female’s neck with their teeth, which could result in a skin puncture that allows transmission.

Myths About FIV

Myth: Cats with FIV should be euthanized because they’re unadoptable or too risky to place.

Fact: FIV positive kitties are no less adoptable than uninfected cats, live long healthy lives in stable environments, and without infecting other family pets.

Myth: Infected cats can spread FIV by casual contact with other cats, including mutual grooming.

Fact: FIV is only transmitted through deep bite wounds that draw blood.

Myth: FIV positive kitties become ill and die at an early age.

Fact: FIV cats don’t have a higher incidence of disease than uninfected kitties, and don’t die sooner.

By now you may be wondering why there are so many unfounded fears about FIV.CatChat.org, a cat rescue resource, explains it this way:

“FIV in the stray cat population has certainly fuelled much of the unfounded fear surrounding the virus. It is mainly un-neutered toms, fighting over food, females or territory, who pick up and spread the virus.

The stray cat has no-one to look after them, and their lifestyle means they are more likely to pick up other infections, which without treatment can escalate. When one of these gets captured and taken to a vet, suffering from any number of secondary infections, it is often too late.

It is the nature of a vet’s work, that they will see many more ill cats than healthy ones, when in fact, there are very many more healthy FIV cats than ill ones — they just don’t need to see the vet.

Indeed, many pet cats will already be FIV positive, but their owners are unaware of it due to the cat being perfectly healthy!”³

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2016/08/02/more-about-fiv-cats/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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