Articles
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: The Facts
Everyone knows there’s a huge stigma about HIV and there are a lot of myths mixed in with the facts. However, even fewer people know the facts about the cat version, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus which, like the human version, can lead to AIDS. Also like the human version, FIV. is becoming more common and so it’s vitally important that cat owners know about it and know that a cat CAN live a happy life with the illness.
FIV was discovered in the 1980s by a cat owner who recognised that her cats seemed to be suffering symptoms similar to sufferers of AIDS. Just like HIV, the disease attacks to cat’s immune system and reduces their ability to fight off infections.
HOW DOES A CAT CATCH FIV?
FIV is transmitted to other cats through bites in an infected cat’s saliva but is quite a weak virus and so cannot survive on surfaces such as food bowls, so a cat can eat out of the same bowl as an infected cat and not catch the disease. It can be passed on during cat mating due to the neck bite the male gives the female, and can be passed from the male to the female or vice versa.
WHICH
CATS ARE MOST AT RISK?
A recent study of the disease found the percentage of cats suffering from FIV. While 3% of pet cats were found to have the virus, 11% of ferals carried it. Cats aged four and over were more likely to have the virus than younger cats and, not surprisingly, un-neutered males were more likely to have it than females or neutered males. This is because of the tendency for un-neutered males to fight, thus giving and receiving more bites than other cats. 9% of un-neutered males were found to have the virus compared with 7% of neutered males and just 2-3% of females. It’s therefore best to have all cats neutered as soon as possible, six months. This will ensure that potential fighters don’t have a chance to develop the fighting urge.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A CAT HAS FIV?
Just like human sufferers of HIV, there is no way of telling just by appearance which cats are suffering from FIV. A suffering cat may appear feverish and have raised lymph nodes (usually only detectable by a vet) but this is simply the response to an infection and so in the majority of cats it has nothing to do with FIV. Just like HIV, the only real sign of FIV is that the cat will suffer from acquired immunodeficiency, that is he or she will be more prone to suffering from other infections and illnesses. A suffering cat will show signs of general malaise, weight loss, lack of interest in food and could possibly get feline cancer.
Cats can be tested for FIV by a vet, who will take a blood sample and either perform the test there and then or send the sample away for testing. The usual test used is the IFAT test which is very reliable and practically 100% accurate.
HOW DO YOU CARE FOR AN FIV POSITIVE CAT?
Numerous studies of FIV have shown that it doesn’t mean a shorter lifespan for
the cat, most in the studies lived just as long as non infected cats and died of
natural causes. FIV positive cats can live long and happy lives as long as
their owners understand the disease.
If you know your cat has FIV then the most important thing to do is make sure you look out for any signs of sickness and get him to a vet quickly, faster than you would with a normal cat where you might ’give it a few days’ to see if he recovers. Just like HIV, there is sadly no cure for FIV. There are some treatments given to delay the onset of FIV related symptoms but some can cause problems of their own. Other than that FIV positive cats are usually just given treatments according to the specific illness and clinical signs, for example kidney disease (where they’d be given a special diet) or mouth infections (where they’d receive antibiotics).
One of the common things said about FIV positive cats is that they must be kept apart from other cats or be destroyed. However it has been shown that a cat with FIV can happily live with healthy cats without infecting them. Some owners keep their cats separate but if the uninfected cats are allowed outside then they will probably be coming on contact with another cat with FIV so keeping them separate inside the house is pointless.
Another dilemma is whether or not to let an FIV infected cat outside. Neutered females tend to have a small territory and many don’t tend to roam beyond their own garden so they’re unlikely to come into contact with many other cats and even then, aren’t likely to fight. Un-neutered males tend to roam and are also likely to get into fights, neutering should reduce these urges but doesn’t always if the cat is already old and ’set in his ways’. Prevention is better than cure and so neutering when young will help prevent them getting the disease as they will not fight or mate. In a rural area where there are few cats it could be safe to allow an FIV positive cat outside if you don’t think he or she is likely to meet, and fight with, other cats. In a town there are likely to be many other cats which could get infected. A responsible owner should consider the health of their neighbour’s pets and not allow an FIV infected cat outside. Building a large run in your garden will allow your cat to still get some fresh air and outside exercise without risking other people’s cats.
Can an FIV positive female pass the disease to her kittens?
While FIV can’t be passed to kittens while they are in the mother’s womb, it can be passed on to them when she bites through the umbilical cord. Kittens can only be reliably tested when they are over 16 weeks old, this is because antibodies in the mother’s milk could cause the test result to be positive even if the kitten is not infected.
So if your cat is found to have FIV then don’t panic, it has been proven that FIV does not necessarily lower a cat’s life expectancy, nor does it make them more likely to get ill. Not all FIV infected cats are a risk to others and many live happily with other cats without ever infecting them, however this would depend on the individual cat’s temperament.
If you have any questions or are worried that your cat has FIV then consult your vet.