Despite what many people think, cats with this condition can live perfectly long, happy, healthy lives.  The first thing to realize is that FIV is not a death sentence. In fact, adopting an FIV+ cat is virtually the same as adopting any other cat; FIV cats are affectionate, beautiful, funny, playful- and special in their own unique ways.  At Town Cats, we don't treat FIV+ cats any differently than we treat non positive cats.

Feline Immumodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a type of virus called a retrovirus. This virus is in the same family as Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV).  FIV attacks the immune system, and as a result, felines become susceptible to various secondary infections and cancers. Like most viruses, FIV is specific to its host species and infects only cats; it is not contagious to people.

In domestic cats, FIV is primarily transmitted by bite wounds. Thus, it commonly affects mainly outdoor cats, and male cats much more frequently than females.  FIV is found in 1-1/2 to 3% of all cats in the U.S. The incidence of the disease has not changed significantly over the years.

First discovered in the 1960s, feline leukemia virus is a transmittable RNA retrovirus that can severely inhibit a cat’s immune system. It is one of the most commonly diagnosed causes of disease and death in domestic cats.