I need help with a FeLV situation

[Jamila]

Hi I have 3 indoor cats. They are all spayed females ages 10, 5, and 1 1/2. The other day I found a tiny stray kitten. It was during the holidays so I was not able to get it into the vet right away. I have been keeping it in a separate room away from my other animals. The poor kitty tested positive for Feline Leukemia. Now I don't know what to do. I do not want to risk the health of my other cats. I have no where to go with this little kitten. The kitten is only half its weight, sleeps a lot, has constant diarrhea, and I don't know what to do. In the past I had a cat that tested positive but he's still alive and well going on +10 yrs (ex hubby took him). My problem is now I'm paranoid about having this cat possibly infect my current crew. Also the kitten is happy to just sleep in my lap but I know it is sick and so far is not showing signs of getting better. She is four months old. I'm not sure if I should put her down or what. I'm not a person that can easily just put down a pet if I see a potential good life ahead. If I were I wouldn't be asking fellow cat owners advice. Please any non harsh words would be greatly appreciated.

[saitenyo]

I definitely wouldn't put him down! There are still a lot of other options before even considering that. Don't worry, there are a few things you can do.

First: Have your other cats been vaccinated for FeLV? I'm still a bit new to cat ownership myself, so someone with more experience can chime in with a yes or no here, but if they have been vaccinated, then that should significantly reduce the risk I would think.

The next step, if keeping the kitten is not an option for you due to your other cats, is to look for a no-kill shelter/rescue that is willing to take FeLV positive cats. Some areas even have rescues devoted specifically to FeLV positive cats, so I'd do a search online and make some phonecalls to see if you can find a good place that will take him and help him find a home.

[katlover13]

Two of my cats are FeLV+; Orlando and Tweezer. Orlando is about 12 years old and Tweezer is about 4. In the two years I have had Orlando he has been healthy. When Tweezer came to me he was nearly two years old and only weighed 3 1/2 pounds, had severe upper respiratory problems, horribly infected eyes, ear mites and a tapeworm. He now weighs 10 pounds and is a sleek healthy happy cat.

Two of the other FeLV+ cats I have had, Buzzy and Casper, I have lost to anemia which is a common complication of feline leukemia. My cats all socialize with one another and all of my other cats are vaccinated against feline leukemia yearly. I will never know for sure if one of the cats I lost, Casper, had feline leukemia when he came to me or if he got it from my other positives.

I belong to a feline leukemia support group that has helped me a great deal. There are people in this group who mix positives and negatives and others who will not. Either way they have a lot of information about the disease and what helps the positive kitties. Here is a link if you are interested in joining:
Felvtalk Info Page

The decision about what to do when you have a FeLV+ cat is not an easy one. I wish you all the best whatever you decide to do.