FIV Cat is Indifferent to New Rescue Cat

When it was extremely cold last week my husband picked up a Russian blue mix house cat that was freezing. He brought the cat indoors and put in a cage in our heated mud room. 

 
Even though our veterinarian told us that if we love our cat Sam, who has FIV, that we cannot bring new cats into the home because it would be too much stress for him. However we could not watch this cat that was clearly a abandoned housecat get severe frost bite. This cat was sitting in a snowstorm when the temperature was 9 degrees. 

So against our veterinarian’s orders we rescued the lost cat and are keeping him in a room that is separated from the main house with a door. The room has heat and the rescued cat can see Sam through the glass but other than that has no contact or interaction with our FIV cat.






Sam could careless about NEW cat

I know that Sam can pick up the new cats scent on my clothes but he is indifferent. Sam could care less; about the cat scent, Sam’s behavior and his daily routine has not changed. Although Sam used to enjoy going to the mudroom to sun himself he now enjoy the sun porch on the woods side.

Note:
The rescue cat was taken to the veterinarian and he got a clean bill of health.






Rescue cat likes the self heated cat bed


We are actively seeking the pet owner and have no intention of adopting this cat. Both my husband and I agreed that if Sam’s behavior should happen to change that we will relocate the cat to our garage shelter even though the window heater is not as warm as the heater in the mudroom.

Get Rid of Cat Dandruff with Natural Supplement

Many cats develop a flaky dry skin condition that causes dandruff and this flaky white skin condition can be remedied quickly and easily with a natural supplement.

My FIV cat named Sam is 8 years old, developed cat dandruff.  I took them in for a wellness checkup and my veterinarian suggested that I supplement his diet with fish protein. He recommended that I buy fish oil capsules and then break open the capsule and add the liquid to his food.

Sam my FIV cat eating his food

It was easy to poke a hole in the soft capsule and then squeeze the oil onto the top of my cat’s canned food, but I did have to mix it well, as my cat turned away from the strong fish smell.  Once the fish oil was mixed my cat ate the food happily.

Tips:

This inexpensive supplement helped my cat to grow a thick, shinny and flake free coat. 

Along with the fish oil supplement I also brushed my cat daily.   

I bought nature made fish oil for humans because it was purified to remove mercury.  I found this product to be best for my FIV cat.

My FIV Cat Got a Pass on His Wellness Exam

This year when it was time to take my FIV cat named Sam in for his annual wellness exam he got a pass and did not need to go in for wellness checkup.

His veterinarian checked his last records and told us that we did not need to bring him in, but I should continue to watch him for any signs of illness.

Sam my FIV cat - Christmas 2013

Sam is as healthy as an FIV cat can be.  I am sure his nurturing environment; along with his healthy diet is a plus. Although he still longs to go outdoors to roll in the grass, so my husband intends on planting an indoor grass garden for him in the spring, something large enough to lie flat on the enclosed sun porch floor where Sam can lay in the grass and have some kitty fun.

Our veterinarian told us that Sam could very well live a long life and we are pleased with his diagnosis.

KH Heated Cat House is Ideal for Cold Homes or Porches

The KH insulated cat house will keep outdoor cats toasty warm, however it also is a comfortable and cozy bed for porches and drafty homes that tend to feel cold.

My cat Sam has FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) and we need to keep his temperature comfortable.  If he gets too cold he will feel stress and that could make him ill.   Our historic home is drafty and can be cold throughout the winter months.  The average temperature in the house at night is 69 degrees and that can be a little chilly for our cat.

Siamese Cat lying inside KH heated cat house

I bought Sam an insulated outdoor house and it is the perfect temperature to keep him warm.  

The house was easy to put together as all pieces adhere with velcro.  The insulated floor pad is thick and has a cushion feel.   The floor pad is covered with a fleece top that my cat likes.  

Testing the warmth:

1. Once the cat house was set up we plugged the low voltage cat bed it in to test the heating unit.  The description on the box says that the internal thermostat warms the floor pad to a comfortable 102 degrees.    We touched the bed with our hand and it did not feel like it was heating up. Then we removed the fleece top and felt the warmth.
2. Sam was reluctant to go inside the cat house so I sprayed catnip lightly on the fleece pad covering.  I did not have to coax him; he went right inside lay down and started to purr.  
3. The KH heated cat house is designed to keep a cat that is lying on the heated floor pad warm. 

The only time Sam came out to visit us was to get his toys.  One by one he brought all of his toys inside the cat house. 

If you have a cold drafty house, porch or garage where your cat frequents then I would highly recommend this heated cat house.  I also have one outdoors under my porch overhang for a stray cat that I am caring for.

FIV Cat Gets a Chance to Have a Feline Buddy

This week I adopted an FIV kitten and I intend on socializing my adult FIV adult cat Sam with the kitten.   When it comes to kittens the success rate for socializing with an adult is greater. The reason is because adult’s cats realize it is a baby cat and are watchful and caring.  My veterinarian approved that I could try to socialize Sam with the kitten and if it works then Sam will have a feline buddy to play, sleep and grooming with.

FIV Cat playing in zazzle box 

Whenever you introduce an FIV cats there is stress and this stress may weaken their immune systems so I have started the socializing by putting the kitten in the adjacent bathroom to my office. (Sam lives in my office) There is an open space bellow the door where the cats can sniff each other and play paws.

see Buddy in the back, they are keeping their distance 

The kitten is a female and she loves Sam and I so far Sam as been very sweet to her. Today Sam passed her one of his catnip toys under the door and this act of kitty kindness melted my heart.  The kitten will stay in the bathroom an entire week before I attempt to introduce Sam to the kitten. 

I am hoping that the socializing process will go well.

Cat Survived Feline Leukemia - 4th Anniversary

On August 9th we celebrated my cats fourth year anniversary for surviving feline leukemia and it was a happy occasion.

When we rescued Sam in 2009 his lap tests showed that he tested positive for feline leukemia and AIDS.  The attending veterinarian recommended that we put Sam down because he felt our cat would suffer and that his life expectancy was short.  Four years later I am playing with Sam on the floor and he does not have feline leukemia or AIDS, he did test positive for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

My husband and I are so happy that we did not follow the recommendation from the veterinarian who tested Sam for the cat viruses. We waited seven months and had Sam retested and the new veterinarian said that our cats first test was a false positive or that Sam did not have feline Leukemia.

It is very important to get your cats retested if they show a positive for Feline Leukemia.  Never accept the positive results from one test only.

On Sam's anniversary we let him have full run of the house and he was allowed to play with the dogs.  He had a fantastic time.  Here are some  photographs.

Sam playing with dogs on the bed

Sam playing with New toy

Sam breaking in New Cat Tree

Living With Sam my FIV Cat

 Sam my FIV cat was rescued in 2008 and his living arrangement has been hectic until we moved him permanently to the main house.   Moving Sam into the main house was the best thing that we could do.  My cats entire disposition changed and he is now one happy cat.   

Prior to this move I was keeping Sam at my office and would spend 8 hours a day with him and then he would come home with me on weekends and spend time in my home office.   

We needed to keep our FIV cat away from our other cats because they were not socialized and even if they were the older cats were grumpy and it would not be a good mix of cats.   

Sam always looked sad when I would leave him at the end of the day, but my home office was a remodeled hall closet and too small for him for a permanent basis.  Nonetheless I wanted Sam to spend more time with the family so my husband and I decided to bring him home.

Now Sam lives with us full time, he has permanent residence in our master bedroom and his litter box is in the bathroom.  Cat toy box in the corner behind the door, cat scratching post by the  window and he no longer needs his cat bed because he sleeps on my husband’s head.   

 Sam gets plenty of human and dog companionship.  His life is balanced as he has time to rest, be loved and play time with the family dogs. 

Home alone cat plays with dogs on bed

When we are at work during the day Sam gets to share the bedroom with our dogs; Lilly and Benny.  When we are away the three of them have a real good time redecorating the room and playing on the bed.  

Sam has the good sense to go into his crate when he needs to nap.  When the cat sleeps the dogs will nap too. I think it is important that a FIV cat enjoy his life.  .   

An hour in the life of Sam

6:00 am - Bite the dogs tail as if to symbolize that it is time to get up and play.  Chase Benny around the room and under the bed until the master tells us it's not time to get up.

6:03 am - Lie on masters head and groom myself until he gets the message that it is time to wake up.

6:10 am - Jump for joy the master is up.  Run in between his or her feet to my food bowl.  

6:14 am - mm mm good....eating spa blue buffalo canned food, licking the plate, loving the succulent food.  Push the plate with my head across the counter top maybe she will feed me more?  Diet? No way I am not on a diet!

6:30 am - Protest for more food. Knock the bowl on the floor and push it around on the hardwood floors.  Get wet from a spray of water....wonder what that means.

6:40 am - Lie on window seat and sun myself, lick my paws for food leftovers. Ah...the warm sun on my back feels so good

6:42 am - Take a cat nap ..Zzzzz

An FIV cat is the same as any other cat, the only difference that I see is that Sam may sleep more and he has a problem with putting on weight but other than that he is normal in every way. 

Sam is a  wonderful companion as well as a comedian.   

Diet Plan For Overweight FIV Cat

Planning a diet for an overweight FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency virus) cat  involves restricting the cats diet so that the cat does not nibble on food all day and changing the food from dry kibble to canned turkey food which is a low fat protein.

 Sam my FIV cat needs to shed some extra pounds.  He is ten years old  and weighs 12 pounds.  Sam is set in his routine.  He sleeps most of the day and plays with our dogs a total of fifteen minutes daily. The rest of the time he is cuddling with us on the sofa or sleeping.  

In February 2012 I was told that Sam needed to go on a diet.  He weighed 15 lbs and the veterinarian wanted him to weigh 10 lbs. In February I fed Sam Blue Buffalo spa selects a high protein chicken diet and gave him a combination of canned and dry kibble cat food.   

Sam would quickly eat the canned food and then leave the rest; this is the food that he snacks on throughout the day.  In the last eight months Sam's energy has decreased due to the FIV virus and he sleeps more which is why he is slow to shed those extra pounds. Older cats that are less active have a hard time loosing weight.

My veterinarian explained that overweight or obese cats are at risk of feline health conditions; heart disease and diabetes are the two main health concerns. Sam has a weakened immune system so I must be strong and not give into him when he begs for food.   

Diet Plan for Overweight Cat

Starting today my cats daily diet routine is going to change.  The plan is to restrict my overweight cats freedom from eating whenever he wants.  Sam loves to eat and in past when I took away his food in the afternoon he was getting into the kitchen cabinets and trying to scavenger food from the dogs bowl. 

My cats new diet consists of a low calorie turkey canned food,  that is high in protein.  His food is Hills prescription diet; c/d.  This is a maintenance food and it is good for a mature cat’s bladder.  He will be eating canned cat food only. 

Dietary portions will be adhered to. Sam will eat 1/2 of his daily required food portion in the morning and 1/2 in the evening. There will be no snacking on the all-day food bowl and no more cat treats. 

Along with his diet food plan he will begin an exercise routine.  I will be playing with him with his Da-bird, a feather bird on the end of stick.  Sam likes this toy and is always eager to play.  To encourage Sam to stretch more I am going to spray his scratching post with catnip.  

Tips:

 
Before starting a diet examine your cat to determine if they are overweight. Do this by trying to feel for their ribs.  If you can feel the indentation of the ribs then your cat is of normal weight. If you can feel a thickness around the ribs then this is a sign that your cat is overweight.

 
Make an appointment with your veterinarian to determine if your cat has an eating disorder or if your cat has an illness.  The veterinarian will do a wellness blood screen that will check for thyroid, blood sugar levels and they will check for heart disease and diabetes.  

Your veterinarian will advise you of their findings.  If your cat’s laboratory results are fine and do not indicate a health condition then your veterinarian will recommend that your cat lose weight and provide you with a diet plan.

Refrain from overfeeding your cat.  Feed a six pound cat  3/4 to 1/2 cup of food daily.  A 10 lb cat should be fed 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food daily.  A 14 lb cat should be fed 3/4 to 1 cup of food daily.