feline leukemia positive?

Question

My children and I found a cat at a shelter that we would like to adopt. However, they just had him tested and he came back positive for feline leukemia. The cat is only 1 year old now. Any suggestions... or is this just a kitty that we should pass on?

Answer 1

False positives are not uncommon. Ask a vet, but there is a second more sophistacated test that typically follows a positive on a little 5 mintue test that most shelters use. If it's the only cat in the house and stays inside and healthy, it should live a fairly long life.
I've known families that adopted on FeLv positive cat and then got a second one that was also FeLv positive to save it's life.
Your vet will have good advice too.

Answer 2

I commend you on even just thinking about it! Most people, rightly or wrongly, would immediatly move onto the next choice after hearing "it has leukemia".

As someone else pointed out, false positives are common. Not to get your hopes up that it doesn't have the disease, but I would have the cat re-tested at another point to make sure.

If it will be the only pet in the house, than it should be ok. It is a highly contagious disease, though, and the cat should never be let outside. That way, it won't infect other cats with FeLV, nor will the infected cat get injuries that could aggravate their immune system. Feline Leukemia is not like a cancer, really, but more like HIV/AIDS in what it does to the immune system. As I said, though, it should be the only pet in the house. Later on, you could adopt another FeLV positive cat if you felt the first one needed a buddy. There is some debate, however, that 2 FeLV cats living together just keep passing the disease back and forth, thus causing further damage to the immune systems. I'm not sure where the experts stand on this point right now though.

Remember though, there is no cure for this disease. Eventually the cat will die from it. I can't tell you if you should pass on it - that is a decision only you and your family can make. I would suggest doing some research on the disease itself and seeing if you're up to the task. If you have had pets in the past, and have a vet you're familiar with, you could always discuss the topic with them as well.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1316&articleid=211

Answer 3

We had 6 kitties infected with feline leukemia. The grandmother cat was immune and gave it to all her kittens. Most of her kittens died 6 months and under. The fact that this kitten lived to a year gives you good hope that she will continue to do so for some time.

All of the kitties lived to about 6 years old and were put down when they developed serious problems. One lived to 13 years old and actually died of a completely unrelated problem. What typically happened is that the kitties would develop different kinds of cancers. Diagnostics is what is really expensive and since a cure isn't possible, you'll know the time has come.

So, yes, I would take it if your children aren't really young. You'll know when problems develop that treatment isn't going to help, so costwise, it's no more than any other kitty.

Answer 4

My Mincho also tested positive as a kitten and would have been euthanized. It was a false positive and fortunately the test was repeated.

At any rate a cat who does have this can live a good life. It is a contagious disease so the cat needs to live totally indoors so as not to expose other cats. They can have another positive cat for a companion. They should have the best possible diet for long-term health.

At Best Friends Animal Society in Utah they have a whole room of leukemia positive cats and kittens. Many of these felines are placed in homes. I am sure you can contact them by mail or phone (don't know about email) for suggestions on supporting this cat so he can have a good life in your home.

Your cat does not have to die because he didn't pass a test. If it seems daunting for you to undertake this (keeping it indoors, learning how diet can support optimum health) then you should adopt another cat.

Answer 5

Pass on. He will only live for a short time once the disease becomes active and while you have him you will not be able to get other cats. It would be a heartbreak to get him, since he could live another year or 12 yrs. Get a healthy cat unless you can handle the responsibility that comes with a feleuk pos. fella.

Answer 6

If he is the one you want, take him. Whatever cat you choose, you are going to outlive him.

I took in a little kitten once, and when I took her to the vet they tested her for various things (she was kind of lethargic), and told me she had FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). Said some cats live for months or years with this, but that this kitten probably would not live long. The vet asked me "Do you want us to just put her to sleep?" No, I did not. I took her home. That was 11 years ago, and my kitty is still with me. She has never visited a vet since that time.

Answer 7

This is a tough decision. I have seen, as the other answerer's
have stated,that a cat can live a long time with this disease
provided it stays indoors and I have also seen cats with this disease succumb very quickly.If children are involved this can also be tricky because if the cat dies quickly its very hard on them especially if they are young.They can make wonderful pets but if you adopt them , you must be prepared if they they
get sick .Good Luck to your family.

Answer 8

i had a cat that lived a happy life with this until he was 12