Can the Feline Leukemia Virus be passed through cat's hissing at each other?

Question

i'm just curious if it can because i know hissing secretes some type of anti-social behavior but i'm unsure if it may spread disease, If so, what is the likelyhood of another cat being infected?

Answer 1

It would be unlikely. FeLV is spread in saliva, but it usually requires closer contact, such as grooming, sharing of water bowls, etc.

If you do have an FeLV positive cat and an FeLV negative cat, you need to keep them separated and make sure that each cat has its own bowls to minimise risk of the FeLV -ve cat becoming infected. FeLV +ve cats should be 100% indoor cats.

Answer 2

FIV is through deep bite wounds, FeLV leukemia is passed with saliva and body secretions.

It's not as easy to spread as once thought, but hissing can spray spit at the face of another cat and potentially be a possible infection factor. There are several very good FeLV lists on yahoogroups, you can talk directly to owners of cats with leukemia to find out the latest info on the transmission factors. They keep up on the research.

Answer 3

Feline Leukemia Virus first of all can be spread more ways then a bite. I don't know what your situation is, but if one cat in the house has it they can spread it by saliva, litter, sharing bowls as well as biting and scratching, and from nursing mothers to their offspring. If they cats in question are in close enough to hiss at each other then one could infect the other. Most cat get vacs for it as kittens, and many have natural immunities, but it is fairly easy to transmit to young kittens and those without shots.

Answer 4

Technically, it can. It is does not have a high chance of spreading that way, but it can happen.

Answer 5

The only way this disease can be passed is through deep intramuscular bites. It can't be spread through hissing.