Adopt a Tabby (medium coat)

***THIS IS A COURTESY POSTING FOR A FAMILY WHO NEEDS ASSISTANCE RE-HOMING A CAT.  IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT G-KITTY OR ARE INTERESTED IN ADOPTING HIM, YOU SHOULD CONTACT THE OWNER DIRECTLY. ***

You can contact the owner by email or by phone:  [email protected]  or at
434-846-6446.

"G-Kitty is about 3 years old and he spent the first 2 1/2 years growing up on the streets. Apparently (per a neighbor) someone did own him as a kitten, but never took care of him. He ended up on my porch July 2012. I started feeding him. I got him neutered and a rabies shot. In January 2013 he got chewed up by a neighbor dog and had to have half his tail amputated. At that point I started taking him to the vet to get his shots, etc. We found out he is FIV positive and the vet recommended that I not bring him in to my home where I have a dog and an indoor cat. I've been keeping G-Kitty closed off in my bedroom. He is the sweetest cat I've ever met. He just purrs and purrs and loves affection. He sleeps with me and is very polite as he doesn't wake me up until morning to go out. I would love for someone to take care of this little guy. It's not fair for him to have to stay locked up in my bedroom because I have to keep him separate from my indoor cat. He is all up to date on shots and he did well with his tail amputation surgery. I will miss him terribly but he needs more than what I can give him."

The owner thinks it will be best if G-Kitty is the only pet in the new home.

Please be aware that FIV cats can live long and happy lives with proper care.  Please take a minute to read through some of the information below in living with FIV felines.

For more information on FIV - feline immunodeficiency, go to http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fiv_in_cats.htm

FIV is Not a Mandatory Death Sentence

It is important to realize that a positive test for FIV is not a mandatory death sentence. With a high protein diet and aggressive treatment of secondary infections, an FIV-positive cat can lead a reasonably normal life span. Dr. Mike Richards says, "Feline immundeficiency virus infection does not lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in cats as often as human immunodeficiency virus leads to AIDS in people." The largest threat to FIV-positive cats is secondary infections, such as bladder, skin, and upper respiratory infections. Kidney failure is also frequently seen in cats with FIV. These secondary infections should be treated promptly and aggressively in any cat, but especially with an FIV cat.

What is FIV and how is it transmitted?

FIV (Feline Immumodeficiency Virus) is a retrovirus in the same family as the human AIDS virus, with a few significant differences. It is estimated that in the United States, 2% of cats are infected with the FIV virus. Saliva to blood (biting) is generally accepted as the primary source of spreading the virus, and it is unlikely (but not impossible) that cats will spread FIV by drinking or eating out of the same food dish, or by mutual grooming. It is not surprising that outdoor cats are particularly susceptible to the virus, and the best way to prevent infection with FIV virus is to ensure that your cat stays indoors only, which eliminates the possibility of contact with FIV cats.

Additional information:  http://www.catchat.org/fiv.html

A cat who contracts FIV will usually still have a strong immune system for several years after infection, it is only over time, that the effects of the virus may start to show, and even then, most infections can be treated with the appropriate medications. With love and good care however, many FIV+ cats can live normal lifespans. These days, it's not unusual to find FIV+ cats reaching 15 years or more.

A long-term FIV Monitoring Project was carried out at Glasgow Veterinary School over a number of years and the results indicated that a higher percentage of FIV negative cats died during the period of the study than FIV positive cats! A fourteen year study by Maureen Hutchison B.Sc, BVMS, MRCVS (veterinary adviser to the Cat Action Trust) found that FIV-positive cats are more likely to die by being killed in road accidents or to be alive and well into their twilight years than they are to die from any FIV related condition. Also, a recent survey by Dr Diane D. Addie (Lecturer in Veterinary Virology, University of Glasgow) where 26 cats were monitored for ten years, found that FIV infection did not affect the cats’ life expectancy.

• Knowing what we now do of the prolonged nature of the condition, euthanasia is totally inappropriate and inhumane. Being killed in a road accident is a far higher risk for a cat than FIV.