What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia?

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What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 12:18:52 AM

LafayetteLady

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As some of you may recall, my cat, Socks, "escaped" the house around Christmas time while I was in a cast and couldn't properly keep her away from the door downstairs. Of course she got pregnant and probably gave it up to every tom cat in a 2 mile radius the little slut.

Anyway, she had 3 beautiful kittens, who were put up for adoption a few weeks ago with a local cat group. They test for feline leukemia and one of the kittens tested positive. Socks will be going to get fixed soon (had to wait for her milk to dry up), and she will be tested at that time. One of the kittens was adopted by a friend who is actually going to be moving into my house soon, and he will need to be tested (and fixed when it is time).

I keep getting conflicting information about this in all but the fact that it is incurable and terminal. Some have told me that the kittens could have been infected by the father and Socks may be fine. Other information indicates that the kittens were likely infected by the mother who was infected by the father.

I do understand that a cat who has feline leukemia could live a long life while still having the disease, although they must be kept from other cats who aren't infected of course.

So what I want to know, which I guess is more of an opinion from others is what is the liklihood that the kitten was infected by the father and Socks is not infected? My logic tells me that Socks is probably infected, in which case the kitten who is infected will come back to me since she is not adoptable having feline leukemia.

What I have been told is that an infected cat could live a long time before they become ill, at which time, one needs to make the dreadful decision of when it is time to end the cat's suffering. So my view is that for whatever time the kitten has that it won't be sick, it should be in a home where it is cared for.

Has anyone had any experience with feline leukemia? Yes I do know that there is a vaccine, but I also know, in this area anyway, vets do not give the vaccine unless it is requested, so Socks never would have been given it anyway. What I'm looking for is anyone who has had an infected cat and what their experiences were. How long before your cat got sick and such?

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RE: What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 12:50:11 AM

CynthiaWVirginia

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In my opinion, the mother and all kittens are likely to all be infected. If not caught from the mother in utero, or during birth, then while nursing. The vet told me that it can take months to show up in kittens. This year I adopted a kitten that was on death's doorstep and the vet who tested her blood said that though she tested negative at that time, it could show up later on. I can't remember the words he used. Cats can catch this through rubbing noses, or hissing at each other through a window screen as well. (I keep all windows on the ground floor closed. Female cats in heat are also capable of shredding window screens to get out and mate.)

Yes, they can live a "long" life.

A friend of my mother...ah...took...a cat from an abusive neighbor. She had watched the animal being hurt one too many times and was tired of pleading with and threatening the owner. A vet visit showed that the male tom cat had FLV. She kept him in the house at all times, and he was her dear baby kitty and had a wonderful life with her for at least 7 years. I know that doesn't seem long to those who have house cats who live over 15 years or more...but the average life of an outdoor stray is something like 2 years last time I checked.

7 years instead of maybe 2 is a way of seeing the glass as half full...

When they die, it's always too soon, isn't it? Whether it's 2, or 7, or 15+...I don't think we're ever really ready to let go.

Um...BTW, you could be hit by a car next week, and your cat could outlive you by YEARS. (Not wishing this on you of course.)

Enjoy your sweet baby girl and give her lots of love. Get her tested so you'll be prepared and know if/when she needs the vet.

My mother's friend's cat showed no signs of bad health until the very end, when he went downhill rapidly and she had him put to sleep. I think he started dying from leukemia or something, he just got tired and listless, didn't seem to suffer or have pain. She put him down before it got bad.

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RE: What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 5:55:04 AM

Aneirin

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My last cat was diagnosed with it, and we were told to keep the cat inside, which we did, but for a cat that had spent all it's life outside wandering about doing what cats do, being kept inside it was patently clear the cat was suffering more from being kept inside, so the cat was put down.

Now my present cat, she is old, how old, I don't know, but she has little interest in the outdoors, but is always sneezing and sniffling, with stomach upsets and other ill like symtoms, so I am guessing she also has some serious problems, but she seems happy enough, the window is always open so she can come and go as she pleases, she gets fed more than she needs, and not the slop that is called cat food. So my understanding is, I don't really need to know if she is on her last legs, my interest is that she enjoys what life she has and as long as I see she is ok, she can live unhassled for as long as she wants to be here.

One day I know I will find her gone, but as long as she goes in peace, I am happy with that, far better than the stainless steel table and smell of fear,suffering and death that is a vets treatment room.

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RE: What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 6:12:38 AM

VirginPotty

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It's on a case by case basis. Many cats can live long & happy lives before succoming (sp) to this disease.......others not so lucky. My 2 cats have Cerebellar Hypoplasia & are known as "wobble cats". When I adopted them I knew this so I researched this disorder & some cats had an extreme case where their balance was completely off & couldn't walk from Point A to Point B w/o bumping into somethiing. Mine have a very minor case and just need to take extra time to judge their distance before jumping onto the bed/or tables

I'm told that Feline Leukemia is transmittable thru sharing the same litter box so you might want to keep their boxes separated as much as possible.

**Eta, here's a sad story (but true) of a kitten w/Feline Leukemia....
A cat kennel owner found this kitty, we asked everywhere we could to find a nice home for this loving kitty. She was so full of life. She was a couple weeks old so our vet so she didn't give her all the tests that she might have.
We did locate somebody that we thought would be a good home for her. We found people who were going to that persons state and she was dropped off in good health. The next day we got an e-mail that the was put to sleep, she didn't even call or e-mail us if we would be willing to take her back, we would have driven up there right away to get her. She had feline leukemia. FeLV does not mean a DEATH SENTENCE. We have a cat with FeLV for over 4 years now. She is doing just fine.
Please, all animals deserve a chance to live a long and happy life with a loving owner.***************************
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< Message edited by VirginPotty -- 5/13/2010 6:14:43 AM >

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RE: What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 6:25:37 AM

Aneirin

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Many of the cats around here are ill cats, for they are rescue cats, mine was a stray that had been living feral for a few months over winter, only the cold finally forcing her to seek warmth in someone's shed and there her capture. She was taken to the cat pound where the current policy is to put down cats that display certain characteristics due to the fact the volunteer cat pounds are full. The person could not deal with the cats death, so a neighbour of mine took her on and then found she did not get on with her existing cats, so I got her.My neighbour's cats are also rescue cats, one of them brain damaged and with a more or less metal spine following a run in with a car, it has a wobbly gait and constantly moving eyes, but he is living life and enjoying it living under the same conditions as holly. My neighbour's other cat I call moon cat, because it is a lunatic, I have never seen such an odd cat as that, it's behaviour is plain nutty, and definately not typical of a cat. What we tend to do here, is we take in cats no one else wants and there are a few people waiting for the next odd ball unwanted cat that gets rejected by the cat pound.

Feline leukemia I understand is very common, but my view is, as long as the cat is happy and living life with a degree of enjoyment, the cat has a right to life, I will not interfere.

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RE: What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 6:32:16 AM

angelikaJ

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It is not common but some cats can get feline leukemia and will actually recover from it. This is also true of kittens.
Some cats will carry the virus and not get ill or will carry the virus for quite awhile before showing any signs.
Some cats have a difficult time with the virus from the beginning.

In my case, I had a beautiful tortiseshell baby for about 5 years before I had to have her put to sleep and for the majority of that time she was not ill.

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RE: What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 7:55:28 AM

VirginPotty

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quote:

it has a wobbly gait and constantly moving eyes, but he is living life and enjoying it living under the same conditions as holly

Good one, Aneirin!

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RE: What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 7:05:32 PM

LafayetteLady

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I do understand that it is pretty easily transmitted between cats. I totally agree that logically, the kittens had to have gotten it from the mother, my Socks. The kittens becoming infected by the father without the mother becoming infected, makes little physiological sense.

So far, only one of the kittens has tested positive of the two that went to rescue for adoption. Had they tested negative, they would both be in happy loving homes by now. I have mentally prepared myself for Socks to be infected (sort of, lol). As some of you know, she means a great deal to me. No worries, neither she or the kittens will be put down until it is absolutely necessary. As soon as Socks is tested, the infected kittens will come back home and live out their lives being spoiled rotten and given lots of love. The story you shared VP is horrible! I would never do such a thing!

I will honestly say that it was NOT my desire to have FOUR cats, but at the same time, I desire less that they are put down or live in cages somewhere when I have a big enough house with a whole bunch of insects they can chase with their mom, lol.

I did read something about FLV resolving itself, and of course all kinds of special "diets" for it, but honestly don't buy into much of it. So basically, I guess I really kind of knew all there was to know (which wasn't much) from my initial research. Kittens probably got it from mom, mom and kittens (if all infected) can live happily with each other for however long they have and there isn't a whole lot else to know, huh?

BTW, Cynthia, I thought it was only my teenage son who was hoping I would be hit by a car and killed! Let's hope that doesn't happen though, because then there is no one to take care of all these sick cats!

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RE: What do y'all cat lovers know about feline leukemia? - 5/13/2010 7:19:24 PM

Aneirin

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Oops, have I put my foot in something ?

My cat is called Holly, but sometimes she gets called minge when she is being picky about her food.

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Everything we are is the result of what we have thought, the mind is everything, what we think, we become - Guatama Buddha

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