We recently rescued a tame "feral" cat from an apartment complex where
people move out and leave their cats to fend for themselves. I named
him Moses. Since he comes from an area where all the feral cats tested
negative on their combo test, I wasn't very worried. I took him in for his
free spay and vaccine and because he was tame, I had him combo tested because I
was going to foster him at my house until I could get him adopted or
into another foster situation. Unfortunately he tested positive for
FeLv. I really couldn't believe it and the clinic where he was neutered
has been known to make awful mistakes so I took him to the vet I use for my own
housecats and he again tested positive on the ELISA test. I boarded him at
the clinic while I discussed the situation with my rescue partner who had been
the one to catch him in a cat carrier. We decided to do the IFA test
immediately rather than wait 3 months and test again with the ELISA. Three
months in a cage in a clinic is not the way to make a cat happy and it's
expensive. We do NOT kill cats who test positive for FIV or FeLv. So
the IFA test was done and it came back NEGATIVE. We were happy. My vet
called Texas A&M. They told him that if the IFA was negative, we
should consider the cat negative. Just to be sure though, they said, keep
him isolated for another month or two and then test again with the ELISA.
At this point I wanted to scream. After that, my vet mentioned a test
called the PCR. A friend googled it and found that it tests for FeLv that
might not show up on either the ELISA or the IFA. Unfortunately, Cornell
University Laboratory doesn't do the PCR. It's popular in the UK but
apparently hasn't taken hold here in the USA. Does anyone have any
experience with this test and also, what am I supposed to do with Moses?
Should I consider him FeLv+ or negative? I took him home and isolated him
in a spare bathroom. I only have one bathroom left now. If I get
another cat in to recover for TNR, I'll have to build an outhouse for
myself. Sigh. Any answers will be greatly
appreciated. Incidentally, Moses is a healthy, shiny-furred black cat with
an excellent appetite. He's about 2 years old. I have his "wife" and
son who both tested negative in the ELISA.
Lee |
- Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I'm confused! Lee Evans
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I'm confu... Marylyn
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I'm co... Leslie Lawther
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I'm c... Lee Evans
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I... Marylyn
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I... Marylyn
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I... Belinda
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv... Lee Evans
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I'm confu... Nina
- Re: Moses tested FeLv+ and FeLv- I'm confu... Jennifer Phaewryn O'Gwynn