FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)
Lets review this together in an easy, layman’s way. There is so much information if you want to delve deeper into this topic. I wanted to create this blog entry in a quick and easy, none boring fashion. Lets get straight to the point and learn what FIV is and should we be worried about adopting a cat with it?
What is it
Basically it’s HIV in cats
What does it do?
It affects the cats immune system, by affecting certain cells.
Can humans be affected by FIV?
No. There is no health risk to a human at all.
How does a cat become infected with FIV
It’s transmitted via saliva, mainly from a deep bite wound. Rarely transmitted via sexual contact.
What are the affects?
There are no symptoms, the cat is however, at greater risk to pick up infections. They may become ill easier as they have a weaker immune system. Some cats may develop Feline Aids.
How can you find out if a cat is infected with FIV
A simple blood test from a veterinarian will show if you cat carries this infection
Will a cat infected with FIV live a shorter life?
All the research i’ve done suggests that a cat with FIV will live for about 10 – 12 years, most cats without FIV can live to a ripe old age of 20.
Is there a treatment?
No, not currently
How common is it?
Maybe 1 in 10 cats
Should I adopt a cat with FIV?
Yes, they need a forever home too!
It’s recommended to adopt as an only cat, just as a precaution due to the infection being past via biting. They should remain as an indoor pet, see a vet twice a year, be spayed or neutered and also stay away from raw food diets.
Make sure you do all your own research and get your facts, there is no reason FIV should stop anyone from adopting an infected cat.
If i’ve missed anything, or you want to correct something please leave a comment below, I hope you’ve learnt a little bit more about FIV.
Thanks for reading, lets keep the conversation going!
The Adopted Cat 
Hi Gatsby! I’m Lola and my sister is Lexy, and we’re adopted, too! This was a great post – we like laymans terms.
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Thank you and I’m glad you enjoyed it
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Good informative post, thank you :)x
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You’re welcome, thank you. xoxo
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Layman’s terms do make it easier to understand, thank you! I would like to add that more and more people are starting to understand that it’s okay to have FIV positive and negative cats living together as long as they get along. Since the transmission is with deep bites, if they never fight, it wouldn’t be a problem. Bestfriends.org supports this line of thinking as well.
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It’s probally very rare also that a cat would deeply bite another unless it is truely threatened I would think anyway. Thanks for the comment.
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