Hi Dee,
Welcome to my world my dear! Like many on this list, I can't tell you
the number of times I've been "desperate" for a placement, (actually I'm
desperate right now, see Matilda's story!). Sometimes a proper home is
found, many times that home turns out to be mine! By your "number",
it's a pretty good bet that you are one of us! What's a caring human to
do? When they show up on our doorstep, we are left few options. I'm
afraid Susan is right, you might as well settle in. I'm not saying to
stop looking, I'm just saying you might as well make everyone as
comfortable as possible while you do. There are some sanctuaries that
will accept a felv+, I'm sure someone on the list will be able to steer
you in the right direction. We all understand your fears, for your
negs, (btw, are you sure they are indeed neg?), but many on the list
have +s that live in isolation and many more have mixed for years. I
had rescued 6, 2.5 week old bottle babies that were pos and had them
mixed before I knew of their status. Since they had all been living
together, playing, grooming, eating and sharing litter boxes for months
before I found out, there was really no decision to be made. They were
together for up to 2 years and NONE OF MY NEGS EVER BECAME POS! Two of
the litter are still living and one has been confirmed neg! There is hope!
You didn't mention how old this former stray is. That can make a
difference in his chances of throwing the virus. As others have
mentioned, there's a good chance he isn't even pos, (false neg tests are
a problem). Please take a deep breath and have faith that he joined
your family for a reason. Make him as comfortable as possible, nurse
him back to health, get him retested in a couple of months using the IFA
test, (lab test, sent out of house), and take it one day at a time.
Thank you for being the kind of people that can't turn their backs on
those in need,
Blessings to you and your family,
Nina
Evan & Dee wrote:
We are in desperate need of placement. About 2 to 3 weeks ago a stray
cat showed up on our property. For the 1st week or two we could not go
near him. We fed him regularly as we could see he was in need of
veterinary care. Finally, he let us near him & we scheduled a vet
appointment on Monday, 08/01/06. To our grave disappointment he is
FeLV+. The vet started to give us options, one of which was
euthanasia. I stopped her mid-conversation & said That Was Not An
Option. The vet said due to ethical dilemmas we needed to keep him
indoors (to prevent the spread of FeLV & reduce his infection risks).
However, staying with us is only a TEMPORARY solution. We have 10
healthy indoor cats, 2 of which also go outside in a fence, of our own.
We do NOT want them exposed to this virus so the poor dear is
isolated/quarantined to his own bedroom, which does not have air
conditioning & gets fairly hot. This is no way for a feline to live!
But this is the best solution we have for him right now on such short
notice. Do you know of anyone who can help us? We live in the Western
part of Pennsylvania. We would be willing to transport to an adoptive
home (after proper adoption screening) or foster placement. I can be
reached at the above email or by cell phone, (814) 229-5678. Thank
you.
~Dee
