Re: FIV infected Kitten
An fiv test is not accurate until a cat is around 6 months old. I wouldn't worry about it until then. Even then I wouldn't worry about it. As stated fiv is rarely transmitted between neutered/spayed cats.. if ever! I have NEVER heard of it being transmitted except through males (unneutered) fighting, and or mating. Most fiv cats never even get sick from it. They might have more gingivitis and need dentals, Mine had ear infections from time to time (but his ears were folded down, so we didn't know which one caused it. He lived to a ripe old age right along with all my own cats and fosters that came and went. tonya[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello!>From what I've read about FIV, it's very rare for a mother to pass onthe virus directly to her kittens (unlike FeLV). I would definitelyhave her retested in a few months and wouldn't be surprised if sheturned up negative. But FIV is not like FeLV in that cats with FIVusually live long, asymptomatic lives. I also wouldn't worry aboutmixing your positive and negative...the virus can only be transmitted bya deep bite wound (typically seen with un-neutered, feral males whofight each other). I don't think you'll have any problem with thelittle one! ;)I don't know much about the vaccine only that subsequent FIV testing ona vaccinated cat can come up positive because of the vaccine. Eitherway, I think your older guy will be just fine...FeLV is considered morecontagious than FIV and I've mixed my FeLV guys with my non-FeLV guysand no one has ever turned up positive.Bless your heart for caring for the little one! What is her name?Jen"But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will beunique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world; Youbecome responsible, forever, for what you have tamed..." --Antoine deSaint-Exupéry"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will knoweach other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and whatyou do not know you will fear. What one fears one destroys." --Chief DanGeorge"The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long..." --Blade Runner- Original Message -From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006 7:44 amSubject: FIV infected KittenTo: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> I have been researching the net for information on FIV in kittens > and hope > to get more info here. My daughter came home two weeks ago with a > little freal > kitten appr. 5 weeks old. We already hav a 3 year old cat and had > not planned > on another cat, but ofcourse everybody in the family fell in love > with this > little thing. Yesterday we were told she tested positive for FIV, > which realy > upset everybody, but we have decided to keep her and deal with > things as > they come. Now I read that when a little kitten tests positive, > you need to keep > testing it until at least 6 month of age because it might be > mothers > anti-bodies, passed through mothers milk that might make the test > come back > positive. Is there anybody in this forum that indeed had that > happen, meaning that at > first the test came back positive but later negative? I know we > are grasping > at straws, but hope helps. We are also trying to decide whether to > keep the > two cats separate for ever or introduce them anyhow, I will talk > to the vet > to have the older one tested too now and if that comes back > negative, to have > him vacinated, but wonder whether that would be sufficient > protection. Any > advise??>
Re: FIV infected Kitten
I am hoping for that too! I've heard sometimes there are false positives and other reasons why they test positive the first round, then negative later. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: - Original Message -From: Gina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006 4:27 pmSubject: Re: FIV infected KittenTo: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org> I too have a kitten who just tested a faint positive for FeLV. > She is eight weeks old. I am awaiting her second test when she is > sixteen weeks of age. I just recently joined this list for > support and to gain knowledge about the disease.> > Gina> I had a kitten just recently retest neg after testing pos. I only waited 3 days, though, because I wanted to get the rest of the litter tested. Since every kitten tested neg, the vet told me I could consider the first test result a bad test. So there is hope:)No heaven wil not ever Heaven be Unless my cats are there to welcome me.--epitaph in a pet cemetery Tiggertales ~ a site about our beloved felines Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail Beta.
Re: FIV infected Kitten
- Original Message - From: Gina <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006 4:27 pm Subject: Re: FIV infected Kitten To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > I too have a kitten who just tested a faint positive for FeLV. > She is eight weeks old. I am awaiting her second test when she is > sixteen weeks of age. I just recently joined this list for > support and to gain knowledge about the disease. > > Gina > I had a kitten just recently retest neg after testing pos. I only waited 3 days, though, because I wanted to get the rest of the litter tested. Since every kitten tested neg, the vet told me I could consider the first test result a bad test. So there is hope:)
Re: FIV infected Kitten
Well, 4 years ago was when it was first released, and at that time, MANY vets were unaware that cats it was given to would always test positive for life... also it was all hyped up at the time in all the scientific journals, so many vets got on board during that phase.. then realized after some time that it wasn't quite what they were expecting it to be. Phaewryn PLEASE Adopt a cat from Little Cheetah Cat Rescue!!!http://ucat.us/adopt.html DONATE: We could really use a power saw (for construction), a digital camera (for pictures) and HOMES for CATS! No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.2/372 - Release Date: 6/21/2006
Re: FIV infected Kitten
I wish my sister and I had known that 3 years ago when she rescued a litter of 4 almost 3 years ago and all 4 of them were given the FIV vaccine. I have 2, she has 2. Boy was I ticked off when I found out it's not necessary. =^..^= Terri, Siggie the Tomato Vampire, Guinevere, Sammi, Travis, Dori and 6 furangels: RuthieGirl, Samantha, Arielle, Gareth, Alec & Salome' =^..^= Cool Catholic Stuff! Click Here --> www.TotallyCatholic.com/Theresa Furkid Photos! http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7sgqa/My Personal Page: http://www.geocities.com/ruthiegirl1/terrispage.html?1083970447350Come check me out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/terricrazycatlady - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 7:21 PM Subject: Re: FIV infected Kitten The FIV vaccine is completely NOT ever recommended by anyone of authority in animalmedicine. Most responsible vets don't use it at all, because it makes the cat it'sgiven to test positive for FIV for the rest of their life.
Re: FIV infected Kitten
The FIV vaccine is completely NOT ever recommended by anyone of authority in animal medicine. Most responsible vets don't use it at all, because it makes the cat it's given to test positive for FIV for the rest of their life. As for the person who stated that it only protected against certain forms of the virus, that is correct: There are five strains of FIV virus, called "Clades." The vaccine was made using Clades A and D and tested using Clade A. Clade B, for example, is a very common strain in most regions of the U.S. and no testing of the vaccine has been performed thus far against Clade B. This means that a pet owner might wrongly believe they were protecting their cat fully against the FIV virus with this vaccine. California has both Clades A and B. Here's the article that went out when the current FIV vaccine was first approved by thye FDA for use in cats: FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS: VACCINE March 25, 2002 Source: AScribe Newswire, 22 Mar 2002 [edited] First Vaccine for Cat AIDS Approved for Veterinary Use The first vaccine for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) was approved for commercial production and veterinary use today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The patented vaccine for this disease, which is a cat form of AIDS, has been licensed for manufacture to Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of Wyeth. Patents for the vaccine are held by the University of California and the University of Florida. The vaccine should be available to veterinarians by this summer. "This vaccine offers the first effective protection for cats against this often fatal disease," said Niels Pedersen, director of the Center for Companion Animal Health and an international authority on retroviruses and immunologic disorders of small animals. "The success of the FIV vaccine also offers hope that eventually a vaccine will be developed that will effectively protect against AIDS in humans." Pedersen and immunologist Janet Yamamoto, now a professor in the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, first isolated the FIV in cats at UC Davis in 1986. Yamamoto began work on a vaccine for the virus at UC Davis and continued her research at the University of Florida, Gainesville. She has worked with researchers at Fort Dodge Animal Health for more than a decade to develop the vaccine. "We are delighted that many years of research are now coming to fruition and providing cat owners and veterinarians with a protective vaccine for FIV," added Larry Fox, director of technology transfer for UC Davis. Fox formerly was director of Corporate Molecular Biology at Abbott Laboratories, where he was involved in development of the first HIV assay and a subsequent recombinant DNA assay for HIV. Research on vaccines for the different viruses that cause AIDS in cats, monkeys, and humans continues at UC Davis, which has the distinction of being home to a veterinary school, medical school, and a regional primate research center. Feline immunodeficiency virus is transmitted from cat to cat mainly through bite wounds, because the virus is present at high levels in the saliva. Like human AIDS, the virus attacks the body's immune system, making the animal susceptible to diseases and infections that usually would have little effect on an FIV-free animal. Cats infected with FIV may remain healthy for 5 to 10 years before symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and chronic infections appear. Although infected cats may recover from their initial illness, they become lifelong carriers of the virus. It is estimated that between 2 percent and 25 percent of the global domestic cat population is infected with the virus, according to the USDA. Infection rates are highest in Japan and Australia and lowest in the United States and Europe. Outdoor roaming cats, older cats, and cats with chronic ill-health are more likely to be infected. Aggressive free-roaming males, which are most likely to get into fights with other cats, are at greatest risk for contracting FIV. FIV does not infect or cause disease in humans. The newly approved vaccine is known as a "killed vaccine," made from an inactivated form of the FIV virus itself. The vaccine stimulates the protective immune response in the animal's body without the danger of inadvertently causing the viral disease. The new vaccine is composed of virus strains from 2 different types of FIV, 1 from North America and 1 from Asia. In a study demonstrating the efficacy of the vaccine, cats received 3 doses of the FIV vaccine and a year later were exposed to a different strain of the virus. It was found that 67 percent of the vaccinated cats were protected against the virus, while 74 percent of the non-vaccinated cats became infected with FIV. Studies indicate that the vaccine provides protection against FIV for at least 12 months. Now THIS is interesting, as far as FIV vaccines is concerned. This is NEWER studies being done by the same person who inven
Re: FIV infected Kitten
Please join the FIV cats group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FIVCats2/ Statistically, 2 out of 3 kittens born to an FIV+ mother test negative once they have been weaned and have had time to clear maternal antibodies. In practice the kittens almost always clear antibodies within 2 or 3 months of weaning and test negative. Don't keep testing the poor little kitten now. Test after 6 months of age. Most of the vets around here won't even test such a young kitten because the assumption is that the test is just not reliable. And please do join the FIV group. FIV is not easily transmitted and most of us in that group have had mixed positive/negative households for year.
Re: FIV infected Kitten
Hi, I just posted about my FeLV positive kitten in response to your email. I'm sorry I somehow read your post as FeLV+ kitten. At any rate, I am new here, but I can speak to the subject of FIV. I had a FIV+ cat named Buddy who lived to the age of 18. He was an adult cat who tested positive for FIV when I took him in, in 1992. A year later, after giving him a home, my husband and I took in two seven day old kittens--Tigger and Taylor--who tested positive for FIV. We decided to keep them all together being that they all had FIV. They thrived, none of them had any major illnesses. Seven years later, we took in another kitty who was around 10 weeks old (Bob). He tested negative for FIV. At that time we restested every cat because the vet was curious about Tigger, Taylor and Buddy's FIV status. It turns out that Tigger and Taylor were negative! The vet believes that they tested positive when they were newly born because of their mother's antibodies and not because they really were FIV+. Buddy still tested positive. At that point we decided to keep Bob since Tigger and Taylor had not gotten the disease from Buddy in seven years. So, Tigger and Taylor lived seven years with FIV+ Buddy and didn't get FIV. In addition, Buddy lived another five years and Bob never got the disease from him either. They all shared the same food, water, and litter boxes. Buddy groomed the heck out of every kitten we had, but there were never any bites inflicted by Buddy. So in that way perhaps it's different than FeLV in that it's not transmitted through casual contact. I don't know much about FeLV. I hope this helps as far as giving you some information from our experience with FIV. If you have any other questions about our Buddy and other cats, please ask. Gina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have been researching the net for information on FIV in kittens and hope to get more info here. My daughter came home two weeks ago with a little freal kitten appr. 5 weeks old. We already hav a 3 year old cat and had not planned on another cat, but ofcourse everybody in the family fell in love with this little thing. Yesterday we were told she tested positive for FIV, which realy upset everybody, but we have decided to keep her and deal with things as they come. Now I read that when a little kitten tests positive, you need to keep testing it until at least 6 month of age because it might be mothers anti-bodies, passed through mothers milk that might make the test come back positive. Is there anybody in this forum that indeed had that happen, meaning that at first the test came back positive but later negative? I know we are grasping at straws, but hope helps. We are also trying to decide whether to keep the two cats separate for ever or introduce them anyhow, I will talk to the vet to have the older one tested too now and if that comes back negative, to have him vacinated, but wonder whether that would be sufficient protection. Any advise??No heaven wil not ever Heaven be Unless my cats are there to welcome me.--epitaph in a pet cemetery Tiggertales ~ a site about our beloved felines Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates.
Re: FIV infected Kitten
I too have a kitten who just tested a faint positive for FeLV. She is eight weeks old. I am awaiting her second test when she is sixteen weeks of age. I just recently joined this list for support and to gain knowledge about the disease. Gina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have been researching the net for information on FIV in kittens and hope to get more info here. My daughter came home two weeks ago with a little freal kitten appr. 5 weeks old. We already hav a 3 year old cat and had not planned on another cat, but ofcourse everybody in the family fell in love with this little thing. Yesterday we were told she tested positive for FIV, which realy upset everybody, but we have decided to keep her and deal with things as they come. Now I read that when a little kitten tests positive, you need to keep testing it until at least 6 month of age because it might be mothers anti-bodies, passed through mothers milk that might make the test come back positive. Is there anybody in this forum that indeed had that happen, meaning that at first the test came back positive but later negative? I know we are grasping at straws, but hope helps. We are also trying to decide whether to keep the two cats separate for ever or introduce them anyhow, I will talk to the vet to have the older one tested too now and if that comes back negative, to have him vacinated, but wonder whether that would be sufficient protection. Any advise??No heaven wil not ever Heaven be Unless my cats are there to welcome me.--epitaph in a pet cemetery Tiggertales ~ a site about our beloved felines Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less.
Re: FIV Infected Kitten
I remember now where I got the info regarding the increased viral loads after routine vaccinations...I called for a consultation at Cornell & talked to one of their vets & she told me about their findings...I believe the study was not yet published (this was around 1999 or 2000) & may not have even been complete at the time, so that's why I don't have a reference to something in print. All I've been able to come up with so far is the following from VetMedCenter - Consumer - Article Details : "Vaccination of FIV positive cats is controversial. While it is essential that risks of common diseases such as Panleukopenia and upper respiratory infections be eliminated, vaccination may pose some risk for the immune-compromised cat. Many veterinarians will elect to devise a modified vaccination protocol for FIV positive cats. This usually includes extended vaccination intervals and the use of killed vaccines. " So, I've just elected not to give Simba any further vaccinations since his initial round as a kitten. I'll try to find more info about that research, since I'd rather give you some hard evidence, rather than just my word. If I find anything, I'll let you know. Take care! Yvonne
Re: FIV Infected Kitten
I also wanted to clarify that when I say I don't vaccinate, I mean I don't have Simba get any vaccinations, other than the ones he got as a kitten before I knew he was positive. The research that I was referring to was with regard to routine vaccinations...this was before there was an FIV vaccine. Just wanted to make sure it didn't sound like I was talking about the FIV vaccine. I don't give my others the FIV vaccination, either, since it would cause them to always test positive for FIV, according to my vet. yvonne
Re: FIV infected Kitten
Hi, We found my cat Simba, at about the age of 5 weeks. He tested positive for FIV. We had him retested at approx 6 mos & he was still positive. It is true that FIV tests of young kittens may only be picking up maternal antibodies, so it would be a good idea to retest the little guy after 6 mos. Simba is going to be 8 years old in July. We have allowed him to mix freely with our other 12 cats all along & none of ours has ever tested positive. He even gets into occasional spats w/ one of the others & he licks several that he is good friends with, shares bowls, litterboxes, etc & it has never caused a problem. He is so healthy that we've had him retested several times over the years, because it's just so hard to believe that he is positive. He keeps coming back positive, but I've stopped worrying about it. I just make sure he gets good care & thank God that he is healthy. I have also elected not to vaccinate due to a study done at Cornell awhile back that found that viral loads for the FIV increased after vaccination. I don't recall how I initially found out about this study, but I did call & talk to them to confirm the info. I have not heard anything about it ever since, tho. I'll have to do a little digging & see if that was researched any further. I don't have a reference that I can give you right off hand, but I'll look for one. Simba did get his initial round of vaccinations as a kitten, however. This was my experience...personally, I have no qualms about mixing FIV+ with negatives, but everybody has to do what works for their situation. Hope this helps. Yvonne In a message dated 6/22/2006 7:45:19 A.M. Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: have been researching the net for information on FIV in kittens and hope to get more info here. My daughter came home two weeks ago with a little freal kitten appr. 5 weeks old. We already hav a 3 year old cat and had not planned on another cat, but ofcourse everybody in the family fell in love with this little thing. Yesterday we were told she tested positive for FIV, which realy upset everybody, but we have decided to keep her and deal with things as they come. Now I read that when a little kitten tests positive, you need to keep testing it until at least 6 month of age because it might be mothers anti-bodies, passed through mothers milk that might make the test come back positive. Is there anybody in this forum that indeed had that happen, meaning that at first the test came back positive but later negative? I know we are grasping at straws, but hope helps. We are also trying to decide whether to keep the two cats separate for ever or introduce them anyhow, I will talk to the vet to have the older one tested too now and if that comes back negative, to have him vacinated, but wonder whether that would be sufficient protection. Any advise??
Re: FIV infected Kitten
I am not sure about FIV; I'm more up-to-date on FeLV, which is different. I do know that cats with FIV can live a long time with it. Once FIV kicks in though, it's not a good thing. I don't know how FIV is spread, but for now I think it would be wise to keep the two cats separated until you know more about FIV. I do not know if FIV can be 'thrown off' as kitty gets older like FeLV can. Make sure you do the research on the FIV vaccine. The FeLV vaccine is not real reliable (I think the figures are 75-80 percent effective, but don't quote me on that). The FIV vaccine might be more reliable, and of course if it is, vaccinate your other baby. FeLV is not spread easily, but not sure about FIV. Also, don't take everything your vet says with complete trust, because what we've found here is that many times we are more in the know on FeLV than our vets are. Many, many vets just say euthanize upon a positive test, but we don't believe that here, and most, if not all of us, use vets that aren't so fatalistic. If your vet doesn't seem to want to work with you when you talk to him/her, then look for another one. Also, there should be an FIV group, like this FeLV one. See if you can join that one where you can hopefully get reliable info. Good luck in your research and let us know what you find out, :) Wendy Dallas, Tx __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: FIV infected Kitten
There are indeed people who have had their kitties come back as negative later on. I'm sure you will hear from them, too. In addition, even if your kitty does stay positive, there are many kitties who have relatively few health problems and live for years. Personally, I would keep the cats separated for now until your older one is tested and vaccinated, just to be on the safe side. But I don't think they need to be separated forever by any means. I think the vaccination would definitely be sufficient protection to allow them to be together. Is your kitten displaying any symptoms, or is it healthy? Everyone on this list will have great suggestions for helping boost your kitten's immune system. I myself am just learning a lot of this, too, so will leave it to the pros to direct you. But, just to give you one example, my cat Spaz was not diagnosed with leukemia until she was 8 years old. I had gotten her and her sister, Gizmo, when they were about 9 weeks old. At the time of Spaz's diagnosis, I also had gotten two more kittens about 10 months prior. All were mixing and mingling, eating out of same dishes, etc. until this diagnosis. NONE of the other cats tested positive. We vaccinated them and let them remingle. That's been nearly 6 years ago!! Spaz is quite healthy, by the way. Runs around like a kitten sometimes. I did come very close to losing her twice, and one not-so-good upper resp. infection, but otherwise, just little things that could happen to any cat, and most of the time has been as if she wasn't positive at all. Of course, the doctors simply cannot understand why she has lived so long. But it is because I didn't give up before it was really her time. So I hope that eases your mind and gives you some hope. There will be much other positive support headed your way, I'm sure. You have come to the right place! Krishttp://www.spazstory.zoomshare.com - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 8:44 AM Subject: FIV infected Kitten I have been researching the net for information on FIV in kittens and hope to get more info here. My daughter came home two weeks ago with a little freal kitten appr. 5 weeks old. We already hav a 3 year old cat and had not planned on another cat, but ofcourse everybody in the family fell in love with this little thing. Yesterday we were told she tested positive for FIV, which realy upset everybody, but we have decided to keep her and deal with things as they come. Now I read that when a little kitten tests positive, you need to keep testing it until at least 6 month of age because it might be mothers anti-bodies, passed through mothers milk that might make the test come back positive. Is there anybody in this forum that indeed had that happen, meaning that at first the test came back positive but later negative? I know we are grasping at straws, but hope helps. We are also trying to decide whether to keep the two cats separate for ever or introduce them anyhow, I will talk to the vet to have the older one tested too now and if that comes back negative, to have him vacinated, but wonder whether that would be sufficient protection. Any advise??
Re: FIV infected Kitten
Hello! >From what I've read about FIV, it's very rare for a mother to pass on the virus directly to her kittens (unlike FeLV). I would definitely have her retested in a few months and wouldn't be surprised if she turned up negative. But FIV is not like FeLV in that cats with FIV usually live long, asymptomatic lives. I also wouldn't worry about mixing your positive and negative...the virus can only be transmitted by a deep bite wound (typically seen with un-neutered, feral males who fight each other). I don't think you'll have any problem with the little one! ;) I don't know much about the vaccine only that subsequent FIV testing on a vaccinated cat can come up positive because of the vaccine. Either way, I think your older guy will be just fine...FeLV is considered more contagious than FIV and I've mixed my FeLV guys with my non-FeLV guys and no one has ever turned up positive. Bless your heart for caring for the little one! What is her name? Jen "But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world; You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed..." --Antoine de Saint-Exupéry "If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear. What one fears one destroys." --Chief Dan George "The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long..." --Blade Runner - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006 7:44 am Subject: FIV infected Kitten To: Felvtalk@felineleukemia.org > I have been researching the net for information on FIV in kittens > and hope > to get more info here. My daughter came home two weeks ago with a > little freal > kitten appr. 5 weeks old. We already hav a 3 year old cat and had > not planned > on another cat, but ofcourse everybody in the family fell in love > with this > little thing. Yesterday we were told she tested positive for FIV, > which realy > upset everybody, but we have decided to keep her and deal with > things as > they come. Now I read that when a little kitten tests positive, > you need to keep > testing it until at least 6 month of age because it might be > mothers > anti-bodies, passed through mothers milk that might make the test > come back > positive. Is there anybody in this forum that indeed had that > happen, meaning that at > first the test came back positive but later negative? I know we > are grasping > at straws, but hope helps. We are also trying to decide whether to > keep the > two cats separate for ever or introduce them anyhow, I will talk > to the vet > to have the older one tested too now and if that comes back > negative, to have > him vacinated, but wonder whether that would be sufficient > protection. Any > advise?? >
FIV infected Kitten
I have been researching the net for information on FIV in kittens and hope to get more info here. My daughter came home two weeks ago with a little freal kitten appr. 5 weeks old. We already hav a 3 year old cat and had not planned on another cat, but ofcourse everybody in the family fell in love with this little thing. Yesterday we were told she tested positive for FIV, which realy upset everybody, but we have decided to keep her and deal with things as they come. Now I read that when a little kitten tests positive, you need to keep testing it until at least 6 month of age because it might be mothers anti-bodies, passed through mothers milk that might make the test come back positive. Is there anybody in this forum that indeed had that happen, meaning that at first the test came back positive but later negative? I know we are grasping at straws, but hope helps. We are also trying to decide whether to keep the two cats separate for ever or introduce them anyhow, I will talk to the vet to have the older one tested too now and if that comes back negative, to have him vacinated, but wonder whether that would be sufficient protection. Any advise??
