You should ensure your FIV cat receives regular check-ups with your vet and that you are vigilant to any change in their behaviour or eating habits. Find a vet who knows about FIV or will research it and work with you, rather than one who would recommend to euthanize an otherwise healthy cat.
Cats who test positive for FIV can live for many years without serious symptoms. A positive FIV test result SHOULD NOT be a death sentence. FIV is most often transmitted through a bite from an infected cat.
Compared to all other feline health threats, FIV infection is "quite common," according to Dr. Levy. "We estimate that about four percent of all feral cats in the U.S. are infected," she says.
According to Dr. Julie K. Levy, founder of Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, it is estimated that about 4% of all feral cats in the US are infected with FIV. The infection rate is even lower at 1.5% to 3% in healthy owned cats.
Can positive cats be kept with other pets? Although FIV isn't easily transmitted between cats (only through deep bites and not via sharing food and other normal interaction), the risk means that a FIV positive cat should only be adopted into a single-cat household.
FIV-infected cats should ideally be separated from other cats, but this can sometimes be difficult in a multicat household. As the risk of transmission by social contact such as sharing food bowls and mutual grooming is low, some owners elect to keep the household as it is.
With love and good care however, many FIV+ cats can live normal lifespans. These days, it's not unusual to find FIV+ cats reaching 15 years or more. Knowing what we now do of the prolonged nature of the condition, euthanasia is totally inappropriate and inhumane.
Firstly the virus is very fragile, and does not live for long once outside the body - it is destroyed by drying, light, heat and basic detergents - normally the virus will be long-dead before any surfaces come to be cleaned, it is the initial drying that sees off the vast majority of the virus, and this will normally ...
FIV is diagnosed through blood tests that detect antibodies to the virus. The most common screening test is called an ELISA test (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). A positive test result means that the cat has produced antibodies to the virus, and it is likely that it has been and still is infected by the virus.
FIV infection was significantly linked to extreme aggressive tendencies and the extremely aggressive FIV‑infected cats were more likely to have an unhealthy status compared to the non‑aggressive individuals (p = 0.022).
Only about 4 percent of community cats become infected with either FIV or FeLV, similar to the rate in owned cats, according to a study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Both viruses can only be transmitted from cat to cat, not to humans or other species.
Myth#1: Feline Immunodeficiency is Airborne
The feline immunodeficiency virus isn't airborne, and it can't be spread by sharing a litter box or feeding dish. It takes a major altercation for a FIV+ cat to infect a FIV negative cat.
At Essentials PetCare, we offer affordable FeLV and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) testing. A FeLV/FIV test is just $40 for both cats and kittens at any of our locations. The test can be given on its own, or added on to any of our other services.
Spay or neuter your cat. Confine cats indoors to prevent the spread of FIV infection to other cats and to reduce exposure to disease-causing organisms. Control internal and external parasites like fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal worms with a preventative medication.
Question: Can FIV be spread through casual contact, such as cats sharing the same food or water bowls, or cats grooming each other? NO! FIV is transmitted to other felines primarily through deep, penetrating bite wounds.
FIV cats with the virus can obviously infect others, so it is responsible to keep an infected cat indoors – and it is better for the cat as well, since it reduces the chances of catching an infection.
The percentage of feral cats infected with either FeLV or FIV is low. Studies detected FeLV in 4.3% of cats; FIV in 3.5%. This is similar to the rate in owned cats. Several large-scale spay/neuter clinics in the U.S. report only a 1-2% incidence of FeLV in the early years when every cat is tested.
FIV-infected cats spent 50% more time awake than the sham-inoculated controls and exhibited many more sleep/waking stage shifts--i.e., 40% more than controls. In addition, FIV-infected cats showed approximately 30% of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep reduction compared to controls.
Stray kittens can also carry various infectious diseases that can be transmitted to other cats in the household, such as feline leukemia virus, panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calicivirus. Overall, the risks from adopting stray kittens are low, but they are real.
In the terminal phase of infection, signs of immunodeficiency develop and plasma viremia increases. Some infected cats never reach this phase. Antibody production declines, and antibody tests may be negative in cats with advanced terminal-phase disease, but PCR assays are more likely to be positive.
With few exceptions, the bite of an infected cat is required; that is, virus present in the saliva of an infected cat must be violently passed through the skin of another cat. (On rare occasions, the offspring of an infected mother cat may become infected, but obviously this doesn't apply to your specific concerns.)
Sharing a litter box, sleeping area, toys, water bowl or other items will NOT transmit FIV between cats. Can humans or other pets get FIV? No, FIV is a feline-specific disease.
Average Cost of Treatment
The cost can also vary depending on the size and age of your cat, veterinary bills, and the stage of FIV. With the soaring cost of veterinary care, you can expect high veterinarian bills if your cat contracts feline HIV.
Dr. Woyma explains, “Unlike HIV, 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.
Studies have shown between 7% and 32% of Aussie cats are FIV positive. Two other comparative studies between the USA and Australia found the prevalence of FIV in pet cats in Australia with outdoor access is 16% compared with only 4.3% in the USA.