Pregnant Cat Infected with FIV

I tell all of my friends to keep their cats indoors but for some reason, my one friend did not heed my advice and let her pregnant cat out into the garden one day, three minutes later that pregnant cat was infected with FIV because of a minor ruckus with a neighbors cat.

Maine Coon Cat

She did not take her cat to the veterinarian because her cat was up to date with all vaccines including Feline Leukemia so she had no worries, the injury that occurred due to the cat confrontation was minor.  About ten days after the cat fights the pregnant Maine Coon cat came down with cold-like symptoms with swollen lymph nodes but this passed and she went on to deliver five adorable kittens.

After giving birth her beloved cat got sick and was not responding to the medication given. The cat kept getting sicker and the attending veterinarian asked if her cat went outdoors. She told him of the incident in the garden, and her cat tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

All of the kittens tested positive also and could not be sold nor could she find anyone to take them. Her veterinarian told her that they could live a long life without complications but the life must be one of no stress and they could never go outdoors.

Know that until there is a vaccine that will prevent cats from getting infected with FIV then it is wise to keep all cats indoors.   An indoor cat is a healthier cat.

A cat with FIV is a cat that has a suppressed immune system and if infected with the virus at birth the life expectancy is 5 to 7 years.

FIV takes Another Cats Life

For three days I had to make the decision to end my cat's life.  A cat that when checked in August by the veterinarian showed no sign of illness. However, this cat got a cold and never recovered. Did not respond to medication and further examination indicated mass and the diagnosis was cancer.

Over the years my husband has taken in 6 FIV, feline immunodeficiency cats. All of them showed no signs of the illness as this virus is known to lie dormant for a long time.

We were told that some cats are carriers of the virus and may never become ill, while other cats may get sick starting at age five.  That it all depended on the lifestyle of the cat.  A cat with no stress may never get sick.

Photo of Sam diagnosed with FIV in 2008 he is a survivor

Out of the six FIV cats that we have cared for, three of them needed euthanasia due to a cancer diagnosis. They were aged 6, 13, and 14.  These three cats have abandoned adult cats that I had rescued and all had a happy and stress-free life with us for several years before becoming ill.  

Then three days ago FIV took the life of another cat and even though we knew that the cats would not live a full life we are still sad because all of the cats were taken so quickly and our hearts are broken. 

Somethings Wrong With Sam My FIV Cat

We rescued Sam in 2008 and he was diagnosed with Feline Leukemia and AIDS by one veterinarian. In fact, they wanted to euthanize this cat on the spot but I said no.  It was a good thing that I said no because sixty days later Sam was tested again by another veterinarian and he said he had FIV feline immunodeficiency virus and confirmed that Sam did not have FeLV feline Leukemia virus.

2008 Sam playing with a ball

Sam has had a pretty normal life. Besides sleeping more he is otherwise as normal as he can be. His veterinarian checkups have been unremarkable.  We had changed his diet to blue buffalo canned cat food, and we have not had to do much except love him.

Well that was 2008 and this is now and I am concerned that maybe the FIV that was dormant for so long has now progressed and is more serious.

 He has signs of poor coat, loss of appetite, losing weight, and hiding which cats will do when they are sick.

These signs could be due to stress as the house changed and this may have been enough to cause him to get sick. The only way to know for sure is to take Sam to the veterinarian and so I made his appointment for next week.