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http://www.bestfriends.org/sanctuary/creature/FIV.htm
First, if you have not already, I strongly recommend that you have
the cat's test result confirmed with a Western Blot test. This test
is much more dependable than the ELISA test, which is used most
often in veterinary clinics. Blood would have to be sent off to
a lab for the Western Blot test. A cat can test positive for FIV
on the ELISA test (because he/she is carrying antibodies to the
virus), but not actually be carrying the virus. The only way to
know for sure is to have this confirmatory test performed.
The American Association of Feline Practitioners Academy of Feline
Medicine "Recommendations for Feline Retrovirus Testing"
is at:
http://www.aafponline.org/about/guidelines_retrovirus.pdf.
It's the most complete and up-to-date document on testing and retesting
for both FIV and FeLV.
FIV is not easily spread. It is transmitted almost exclusively through
serious bite wounds. This means that, when introduced properly,
in a household with cat-friendly cats, FIV+ kitties can live safely
with negative kitties. Perhaps this will open up some other options.
You can find a lot of information on FIV on the Internet. Cornell
University's info on FIV is at:
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/public/fhc/fiv.html
It has been estimated that the majority of FIV+ cats never become
ill from the virus. From what we have seen, FIV+ cats are more likely
to lose their lives because they have tested positive (and no one
is willing or able to take them), than because they actually become
ill.
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