What is FIV?

FIV stands for feline immunodeficiency virus. Because it attacks the immune system, FIV+ cats are more likely to pick up other infections. Although cats infected with FIV may appear normal for years, they eventually suffer from this immune deficiency, which allows normally harmless bacteria and viruses found in the everyday environment to potentially cause severe illnesses. Despite this, recent studies suggest that cats with FIV commonly live normal life spans, as long as they are not also infected with feline leukemia virus.

How is Feline Immunodeficiency Virus spread?

The major route of virus transmission is by the deep bite wounds that occur during fighting. There are other means of spreading the virus, but they are less common. On rare occasions infection is transmitted from an infected mother cat to her kittens, usually during passage through the birth canal or when the newborn kittens ingest infected milk. Casual contact such as sharing food bowls, or snuggling is NOT associated with transmission.

What medical conditions can be related to FIV?

Some of the ones listed below are the most common and if they occur or keep occurring, a cat should be tested for FIV.

• Poor coat condition
• Persistent fever
• Loss of appetite; Slow but progressive weight loss is common in cats with FIV, often followed by severe wasting late in the disease process.
• Inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and mouth (stomatitis)
• Chronic or recurrent infections of the skin, eyes, urinary bladder, and upper respiratory tract
• Persistent diarrhea
• Persistent variety of eye conditions
• Upper respiratory tract infections
• Anemia
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Several kinds of cancer and blood diseases are much more common in affected cats.

In the early stages cats often exhibit no sign of the disease at all. A cat who is positive may progressively deteriorate or can have recurrent periods of illness interspersed with periods of relative health.

How is the infection diagnosed?

• Most of the time FIV infection is discovered using a screening test that takes about 10 minutes performed in your vet’s office.
• It should be noted that giving the FIV vaccine will cause a cat to test positive. Because of this your veterinarian may not offer the FIV vaccine.

What does a positive test result mean?

• Kittens younger than 6 months may have received antibodies from their mother but are not actually infected. Kittens testing positive should be retested until age 6 months to see if the test will become negative.
• Cats that have been vaccinated against FIV may show a positive test result since the test detects antibodies developed in response to the vaccination.

What if one cat in a multiple cat household has tested positive for FIV?

• In a household with multiple cats, it is important to test all the cats when one cat comes up FIV+ as it is important to know who is infected and who is not.
• Isolation of an FIV+ cat is not necessary in a stable household unless the FIV+ cat is likely to fight with the other residents. This is a personal decision as to whether to mix infected and non-infected cats in your home. If you do mix them, prevent cat fights and biting. Fights can occur over food, space, affection, and toys. Fights are less likely to occur if cats have spaces they can go to or jump to for privacy, and they are less likely to occur if cats are getting plenty of other stimulation like play time. Fights are very likely to occur among unneutered males and un-spayed females, so it is imperative to have your cats neutered and spayed.
• Keep your cat/cats indoors only. If you know your cat has an infectious disease, the responsible thing is to prevent the spread of this disease in your community. This means that your cat will need to be an indoor cat and not just for the good of the community but also to reduce their exposure to other infections. Remember, their immune system is weakened. Cats who are used to living outdoors will make a fuss about not being allowed outside. It is crucial that you do not give in as this will simply reinforce the crying and fussing. If you just allow the fussing to run its course, it will cease, and the cat will get used to the new indoor only life.

What else can I do for my FIV+ cat?

• Feed a nutritionally complete and balanced diet. There are currently numerous fad diets involving raw foods for pets. It is crucial that one does not succumb to these popular recommendations when it comes to the FIV+ cat. Uncooked foods, meats especially, can include parasites and pathogens that a cat with a normal immune system might be able to handle but an FIV+ cat might not. Stick to the major reputable cat food brands.
• Schedule wellness visits with your veterinarian at least every 6 months.
• Closely monitor the health and behavior of the infected cat and discuss any changes with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Many of the diseases associated with FIV are manageable if caught early.
• Parasite control: the last thing an FIV+ cat needs is fleas, worms or mites, especially now that they are going to be an indoor cat. There are numerous effective products on the market for parasite control. Consult with your vet about which parasites you should be especially concerned with, and which product is right for you.

How long will an FIV infected cat be expected to live?

While a non-geriatric FIV negative cat should have an annual examination, the FIV+ cat should have a check-up twice a year. Annually, a full blood panel and urinalysis is wise. Also, it is important to be vigilant of any changes in the FIV+ cat. Small changes that one might not think would be significant in an FIV- cat should probably be thoroughly explored in a FIV+ cat. Any weight loss in particular should be addressed. With appropriate care and treatment of chronic conditions, most infected cats can live for years.

An FIV positive cat has died in a home, when is it safe to bring in a new, negative cat?

There is no waiting period as the virus does not live long outside the body and is killed easily. However, it is ideal for surfaces to be cleaned with a dilute bleach solution, especially if the cat had any secondary infections. If there are other cats in the household, they should be tested to determine FIV status.

Can humans be infected with FIV?

No, the feline immunodeficiency virus infects only felines.

The Immune-Suppressed Owner

Immune-suppressed cats and immune-suppressed owners do not mix well. Those who are immune suppressed, be they human or non-human, are inclined to become infected with opportunistic organisms and in turn shed larger numbers of those organisms than one might naturally come into contact within the environment. This means that someone who is immune suppressed (human or not) can serve as an amplifier for infectious agents. An immune-suppressed cat can increase an immune-suppressed human’s exposure to infectious agents and vice versa. This is obviously not a good situation. The same is true for multiple immune-suppressed cats living together. If possible, there should be only one immune-suppressed individual per home.