Should Cats With FIV/Feline AIDS be Euthanized?
I am a foster parent for a cat rescue and am
currently fostering an FIV-positive cat. Our
philosophy is that FIV-positive cats can live
happy and healthy lives with proper care and we do not need to resort to euthanasia.
The problem lies in the misperception of FIV in the cat community.
Many people, some vets included, believe we should
euthanize FIV-positive cats and should not adopt
them out. I hope you can write an article to help
educate the Catster community about FIV.
Lily
West Covina
Frankly Lily, I couldn’t have said it better than you.
Infection with FIV, also known as feline AIDS, is not a valid reason to euthanize a cat. Many FIV-positive cats lead normal, healthy lives. A large proportion of these cats ultimately die of unrelated causes.
FIV, like human AIDS, is not highly contagious. It is spread by fighting. And, like human AIDS, FIV does not cause illness or death on its own. FIV weakens the immune system. This predisposes cats to infections and certain cancers.
Sadly, there is no effective treatment for FIV. Nonetheless, most FIV-positive cats live for many years before their immune systems are clinically affected.
FIV-positive cats have special needs. They should be kept indoors. This prevents the virus from spreading, and it protects infected cats from many types of wounds and infections. Also, FIV-positive cats may require more aggressive treatment for minor injuries or infections.
However, with proper care FIV-positive cats can lead long, happy lives.
Finally, I should point out that routine screening tests for FIV are not perfect. They sometimes falsely identify uninfected cats FIV-positive. Until a positive result has been confirmed by a more rigorous method it cannot be considered definitive. And it certainly isn’t a good reason to euthanize a cat.
You have questions. 
Hudson has FIV and he is living a long and healthy life!
We wouldn’t even think of euthanizing him yet!
[...] today’s Catster Vet Blog, Dr Eric Barchas ansers the qwestion, “Should Cats with FIV/Feline AIDS be Euthanized?” The short anser was no, and I was vary happy to reed that. My gramma’s cat, Babe, is [...]
i have a friend who’s cat is a stray, and was diagnosed with FIV. ever since he was kept in house. He has been living fine, until few weeks ago the cat started urinating blood, upon check – the cat’s immune system has failed and she’s got multiple system failure. Though the cat may get better with drip and injections, but once we stop the drip, her condition quickly goes down hill. Finally the owner had to make the heart-rending decision – to euthanise her.
Oh my NO we don’t belive in PTS a healthy kitty with FIV. Like any other delicate condition, you have to be on top of any infections or whatever and start treatment right away before it becomes an issue. Usually, with a little extra care, any issues resolve as with any FIV- cat.
When it comes to a point where the kitties quality of life is suffering with no recourse, then yes, the time to PTS will become an option. AS WITH ANY CAT.
For the most part, an FIV cat will live a long and healthy life and it doesn’t mean they get sick all the time, either. Like any cat, some will live longer than others and some have health issues now and then. Some of our Catfamily in the past were FIV+ and did very well.
I have had three FIV+ cats as companions over the years. All lived very long, happy lives. Only when they were old and already weakened did the FIV become an issue, but even then it was manageable. My third FIV litty is still alive, kicking, and doing great, and she is an elderly kitty by now.
Euthanizing an FIV cat is a cop out. It is cruel and unnecessary. My three feline friends are proof of that, and in fact I look forward to adopting more FIV cats in the near future, as my own resources allow.
Oops I meant “kitty” and not “litty.” DUR. :-)
As an animal rescue volunteer, I have had the sad experience of pts FIV positive kitties as well as feLV and fip kitties. Which diseases call for this? A friend has a FIV positive kitty who co-exists happily with her other cats, but my daughter lost two kittens to FIP. If I have the opportunity to adopt a FIV positive cat, should I go ahead even though I have two other much-adored cats in my home? What about an FeLV or an FIP positive cat? It saddens me that in the past I may have had a FIV positive cat pts when it was not necessary. And, the statement regarding false positives it not encouraging, either. Can the test be repeated for a more accurate result?
NO! I had a great cat that had it and he lived a long healthy life! he got hit by a car, but was a great cat for 14 years! Don’t doit! FIP is a much worse and sadder thing for a cat to get
PS to Lily in West Covina, I lived there for 9 yrs and Dr Tracy on Diamond bar blvd is great He took care of my cats while I lived there and one of them who lived a long life with it had it. I moved out of the area to Redlands, but wanted to let you know about Dr. Michael Tracy
Thank you April for the great vet suggestion and to everyone else for your comments.
To address Izzie’s question, FIV cats can live with non-FIV cats. There is a very small possibility the other cats will be infected, but as Dr. Barchas pointed out, the method of infection is through fighting. It is a saliva born virus but needs a deep bite wound to be transmitted. Less commonly an FIV positive mom can pass it on to her kittens in the birth canal, but this is not common. This is why a litter of kittens need to be re-tested 60 days after they have tested positive. This can be done with the snap antigen test but more acurrately with a PCR test. False positives can occur with the snap anitigen test because it tests for the antibody which a kitten gets from it’s mother’s milk or an adult cat from a vaccine. Cats who have been vaccinated for FIV will test posistve. Also the vaccine does not protect against all mutantions of the virus. The PCR test actually amplified viral RNA if present.
As for FIP and FeLV, these are considered highly contagious diseases. Although we do not euthanize for FeLV. FIP cats usually go into renal failure and no dot survive long. If an FeLV cat is taken in, we find a foster home where it can be an only cat. They are monitoreded and if they are healthy enough, adopted out. Many years ago I had a kitten who was born with FeLV, she lived to be 6 and was never sick until two weeks before we had to PTS. Some people dissagree with our philosophy of not euthanizing FIV or FeLV positive cats. Even FeLV cats can live a good live but must be only cats. The thing to considr is ones ability to properly care for these cats as your vet bills can be substantially higher.
Just to clarify, Agent Orange is kept seperate from all the other cats in his foster home. Also, please consult you vet before bringing an FIV positive cat into a home with non-FIV cats. There still exists a slight posibility of infection so it is best for FIV cats to be only cats or in a home with other FIV cats.
Our kitty was diagnosed with kitty aids in 2002 (dont know how long he had it before then) he passed away in 2007.
So he lived a pretty good life until he passed, he seizured for one day, and the vet suggested he be put down.
He was 10 years old.
Our family had a kitty named Spitzer that was diagnosed back in the 1980’s with FIV. Seems like it was when they first started diagnosing that (or hearing about it anyway). Our vet, even back then, did not suggest euthanizing Spitzer. He did have us try an antiviral medication (which was a liquid and he hated it) for awhile, but we stopped eventually. Spitzer lived at least 10 years after being diagnosed with FIV. When he would get sick, he would stay sick longer, but otherwise had a normal, healthy life. We think he got contracted it before we got him, when he was an unneutered Tomcat, roaming the neighborhood, and fighting. (We got him neutered of course, when we adopted him..)
All kitties deserve a fighting chance to live. Our Buddy came to us with FHV. He was treated agressively as a kitten, and has been sympom free for years. All kitties get their annual vaccinations. Buddy is a house cat and has not passed this on to any other cat. Every cat is a special creature and should be treated as such.
When Mama was a kid, she tells us that a kitten hung off the bathroom window early one morning. Memere tried to ignore the kitten, but it was pouring and the kitten was very wet and hungry.
Mama says Memere rescued the cat and gave it to her sister, who was a cat mama and took in strays and rescues. Unfortunately, the kitten had FIV and within days, half her cats were dead. Mama says maybe it seemed like days but was longer, but what she remembers most is that her aunt’s 25 cats, who were all vaccinated and loved, started dropping and when it was over, not only did the kitten die, but so did 12 others. Mama says that the kitten tested positive when her aunt took her to the vet, and that the kitten was actively sick. We hope that FIV is better treated 20 years later, but Mama says she would never PTS a cat simply b/c of FIV – says the cat would have to be extremely sick and/or nothing more to be done.
I have had several FIV positive cats and they all lived a normal lifespan.
my cat was diagnosed with chronic renal failure and was severley dehydrated, his teeth had almost all fallen out and he stopped grooming himself about a week before his became dehydrated, at this time he was diagnosed with FIV, the vet told me i had to euthenasie him as his kidneys had almost completely failed and he would therefore not survive more than a few days once out of the hospital, they told me that he was in a lot of pain also.is it right to euthenasie and is he really at the stage of dying??please, i really need to know…
My cat is 11 years old and was diagnosed with FIV 5 years ago. His good days outweigh the sick days by far. Cats with FIV should NOT be put down. He has had a few infections and had to be put in the hospital but he recovered well.
I have a FIV positive cat, who is now 10 years past his diagnosis and although he has a constant running nose, he is otherwise fine. The vet that we used to go to was surprised when I did not have him put down. He is a wonderful cat and I have never regretted my decision to keep him alive.
I recently lost a cat to FIV and didn’t know he had the disease. I have another cat that has been vacinated, but not since 2005. Should I have her tested and vacinated now? If she contracted the disease from the other cat, will the vacine help her to live longer even if she is positive for the disease?
My beloved cat Sammy was just diagnosed with FIV. He has not been sick a day in his life, we took him in for vaccines and the vet discovered the FIV. We also have a non FIV kitten at home. Has anyone kept an FIV & non-FIV cat together with or without the disease being transferred. I’d like to know what peoples’ anecdotal experiences. Thanks!
Thanks for posting this wonderful article. A diagnosis of FIV, by itself, is not a valid reason to euthanize a cat. And there are many treatment options available, including natural treatments. When my own cat was diagnosed with FIV, the vets at the local clinic wanted to put him to sleep. I searched for alternative and found a book – “Feline AIDS: A Pet Owner’s Guide” – and a web site – felineaids.org – that proved invaluable to us. My boy, Max, is still with me to this day, and I’m so thankful that I didn’t jump the gun and put him to sleep just because of an FIV+ test result.
I’m sorry but somebody has to be the bad guy…so here I go. Every spring it seems our subdivision gets inundated with unwanted, dumped critters. We also know of one homeowner who refuses to spay or neuter her cats, yet lets them run free. We now have a feline explosion of ferrel cats running wild through the neighborhood, crapping in our flowerbeds and spraying our front doors. My neighbor caught one of the little guys and took it to her vet–seeing as how it was very sick. They tested the kitten and it was FIV positive. She has spend an ungodly amount of money saving this kitten. His other siblings are still too scared to come near, but have been living in and out of her garage for months now. THey are all ill and I’m sure, spreading the virus to the other cats roaming the hood. At last count, there were 15 strays living in my neighbors garage. This is pathetic. She knows if she takes them to a shelter they will be euthanized, so therefore, she allows them to stay. Our county will not get involved, either. THey suggest you trap them yourself and then they will come pick them up.
These cats are wormy, have nasty eyes and every known parasite known to the feline kingdom. They need to be euthanized. This is much more humane than watching them slowly deteriorate and MATE with every other loose cat on the street.
And maybe this is just a coincidence, but now all our dogs are having diarrhea and vomiting issues after taking walks. Perhaps they are eating the feces left from the cats…I don’t know…but something is making them very ill. Our dogs are confined to our homes or on a leash when taken outside. It’s a few hours after a walk that the vomiting happens. !@#$%
With all due respect, you’re straying a bit from the subject of should cats with FIV be euthanized, and you’ve also introduced some misinformation.
Caring for a cat with FIV does NOT have to cost a fortune, and there are many things that can be done for these cats. Natural treatments, for example, have proven remarkably effective for cats in all stages of the disease. The cat you depicted who was taken to the vet was a NEGLECTED animal who’d been allowed to reach a point of crisis.
Furthermore, the household you describe in not representative of all cats with FIV. This is an irresponsible woman who has far too many animals and doesn’t neuter them. That has NOTHING to do with the issue of whether or not cats with FIV should be euthanized.
As for your dogs, FIV is species specific… it only affects cats. Your dogs cannot get FIV from these cats, and therefore it makes no sense to suggested euthanizing all cats with FIV because your dogs vomit or get loose stools on their dally walk. That could be caused by everything from a bowel disorder to food issues to lawn chemicals in your neighbor’s yards. This has nothing to do with FIV.
Cats with FIV can make wonderful pets, and it doesn’t have to break your bankbook to care for them. Please visit the wonderful resource Stephanie referred to in her post and read about natural treatments. Above all else, don’t leap to conclusions. Get the facts about FIV.
Off main topic but to Andie . . .
I don’t know where you live or what services are available near you, but you might consider TNR for those neglected kitties if there is a no cost/low cost spay/neuter clinic anywhere nearby.
I would not apologize for sterilizing an animal allegedly belonging to such a negligent person. Being owned by a cat is a privilege that must be earned.
Of course, I am not in your shoes, and you have to coexist with this neighbor. I’m just thinking of the cats and all they suffer.
hi, i just read your article.. my cat just got tested yesterday at the vet and he tested positive for FIV. reading your article has given me hope though that he may still be FIV free. I wanted to know what are the rigorous methods in testing a cat for FIV? The vet tested him for both FLeV and FIV through an Anigen Rapid FIV Ab/FeLV Ag Test Kit. Is that sufficient? Please do reply and let me know.
Davs, the combination test that you mention is only a screening test. It is designed to have high sensitivity and low specificity. In other words, almost every FIV positive cat will test positive. However, some FIV negative cats will mistakenly test positive as well.
Another test, called western blot, should be run to confirm the diagnosis. A positive western blot will confirm the diagnosis. A negative test, on the other hand, will re-open the case.
LAST YEAR MY CAT HAD A ABSECE ON THE BASE OFF HIS PAW IN AUGUST ALL NEEDED OK BY SEPTEMBER I NOTICED ON THE SAME LEG A LITTLE HIGHER THAN HIS ANKLE WAS DISCOULOURED IT TOOK UNTIL FEBUARY THAT I COULD LEAVE THE DRESSING OFF EVERYTHINK OK UNTIL THIS JANUARY GOT ANOTHER ABSECE BUT THIS TIME ON HIS CHEEK TOOK HIM TO VET WITHIN 3 WEEKS I NOTICE BLOOD ON HIS CHEEK GOT SOME MORE ANTIBIOTICS ALL SEEMED OK THEN BUT THIS TUESDAY EVENING WHEN HE CAME IN THERE WAS BLOOD AGAIN I CLEANED IT UP & TOOK HIM FIRST THING YESTERDAY TO THE VETS, SHE ASKED ME TO DO A BLOOD TEST FOR LUKIMIA OR AIDES IT CAME BACK POSSITIVE FOR FIV.
I HAVE ANOTHER CAT I’M TAKING TO THE VETS FOR THE BLOOD TEST THIS MORNING TO SEE IF SHE HAS IT TO, THE VET HAS TOLD ME ITS OK BUT THEY DO MAKE A LOT OF NOISE SOMTIMES, BUT THATS OK THATS NOT THEM FIGHTING IS IT, THEY SHOULD BE OK TOGHTER I AM VERY SCARED BUT AFTER SPENDING MOST OFF THE NIGHT LOOKING UP FIV MY SON HUSBAND & I PLUS OUR 2 DOGS CANNOT CATCH THIS FROM OUR GENTLE GIANT.
BUT IS IT A SURE THING THAT HUMANS CAN NOT AS I HAVE BEEN CLEANING HIS BLOODY FACE WITH OXYGEN WATER BEFOR KNOWING HE HAS FIV I WAS NOT WEARING GLOVES WILL I BE OK.?
I HAVE SEEN AGGRESSIVE TREATMENT ? WHAT DOES THIS MEEN IE: CLEANING THE AREA OF THE ABSECE DEEPER?
the problem is adoptability, especially in shelters. when there are 50+ cats available for adoption, why would anyone choose to adopt the FIV cat when there is a healthy cat sitting right next to him?
as shelters fill up, what are the chances of those FIV cats getting adopted? pretty low.
We have a one year old kitty in the advanced stages of dry FIP. It just creeped up on us. She was always small and a bit wobbly, and now she can barely stand up. Although she drags herself to the food bowl, she does still eat all we give her and show interest in playing and following us around:) I do not know whether or if to euthanize though. My boyfriend is willing to keep her until she just can;t move at all anymore. infear that she is suffering. Is she in pain? Will prolonging her life endanger our other kitty (same age, cohabitating w/ sick kitty for 8 months) who still appears healthy?
I have to agree with Melody.
The issue there isn’t the fact that some of the cats are FIV+, but the fact that the woman in question (though her heart may be in the right place) is unable to care properly for so many of them.
Life with FIV does not have to be an abysmal existence.
One of my three, a former feral, tested positive for FIV when we trapped him in 2004. (He was also diagnosed with diabetes shortly afterward, and HCM last spring.) He is eight now, and to look at him, you would have no idea that he has multiple chronic conditions. He’s active, playful, affectionate, and aside from the occasional complication and a little extra monitoring, his life is really no different from that of any other cat his age.
In the interest of complete and total honesty, we probably do spend a little more time and money on veterinary care than most (though mainly for the diabetes and HCM, not the FIV), but it’s not an obscene amount… and realistically, I don’t expect him to set any records for longevity. But, for now, he’s a remarkably happy, healthy (all things considered) little guy, and we’re very glad we didn’t elect to euthanize him.
And, frankly, I suspect he is, too. :)