Well, I don't know what the right kind of person is (or wrong), but
you have great respect and dedication and intent, so sounds good to me.
I have 5 FELV cats - have lost 3 in the last 2 years, along with
several non-FELV cats. Of the 5 FELV cats I have now, 2 are between
2 and 3 years old (fingers crossed), and 3 are over three years (like
5 or 6, I'll have to check). I just picked up these three within the
last year, from someone who had to rehome them. All are on
interferon, all doing great.
It does make one paranoid, losing them. I've lost two non-FELV
fosters in the last month, plus one that someone adopted from me was
euthanized (not for a good reason). IT hurts. But when you try to
do what's best for them, and give them a good life, and make things
better than they were, what more can you ask for. It's a great gift.
Gloria
On Jan 4, 2006, at 1:29 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Thanks, Gloria. That really does help. I just have become so
paranoid and fatalistic from losing so many animals in the last few
years, that statistics like the one the vet cited just put me over
the edge a little bit.
But Gray showed me that the vet also has a chart in the office, put
out by Hills, saying that a 17 year old cat is equivalent to a 100
year-old human. Now I know 17 is old for a cat, but that would
make our cat Percy, who lived to a month short of 20, about 120 in
human years! Which is a bit ridiculous. It also had dogs over 55
pounds being equivalent to 100 human years at age 11. This made
Gray feel better because we lost our three large dogs at 9, 10, and
11 and felt like they were young when they died. But we have also
known a few large dogs who lived to 15, which would make them 140
in human terms according to the chart! So all of these numbers are
a bit bizarre when you sit down to think about them.
Sorry if I seem so anxious when I write. The vet told me that he
thought Patches was anemic, before the HCT results were done, and I
almost passed out. But her HCT was 37, thank god. I am just always
so sure the other shoe will drop. Everyone tells me I am
completely the wrong type of person to have adopted 6 FeLV+ cats.
I know they are right. But I also love them so much I can't
imagine not having done it.
Michelle
In a message dated 1/4/2006 2:23:10 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Hi Michelle, prayers coming for Patches and Lucy! I know you have a
lot os stress trying to keep them well. In my opinion, different
vets will say a lot if different, diverse things about FELV - much
just based on their feelings, not necessarily based on research or
solid evidence. My friend Susan has several FELV cats that just last
and last and last - going to be old age kitties. Hope yours live
long too!
Gloria
