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 Intros: Does your cat have FIV? April 23, 2005 8:16 AM

Please tell something about yourself and your kitties. Include any questions you may have. Thanks Jessica  [ send green star]
 
anonymous hi April 23, 2005 12:06 PM

none of my kitties have fiv...but i am hoping this group can answer questions for people whose kitties are positive, or at least help people understand that they don't have to euthanize their kitties just because they get sick or test positive for FIV... thanks for starting such an informative and interesting group...keep up the great work on educating people...and thanks for the invite... jenn  [report anonymous abuse]  [ accepted]
 
 June 09, 2005 2:58 PM

None of my indoor cats have FIV but there is a large feral and roaming cat population in my town and FIV and FeLv is on the rampage here. Pretty much every cat I've ever rescued here has tested positive for Feline Aids. I also did volunteer work at a shelter for Feline Aids and Leuk cats before I had my son. It's a neat place in Harrisburg...www.bestlittlecathouseinpa.com . I miss it. I live almost 3 hours away and am pregnant again so can't go to visit. Someday!  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
anonymous  June 09, 2005 3:24 PM

Hello, None of my babies have that they are also indoor kitties I never let my cats outside because they are just too many dangers out there for them. But this is a good group to have to stay informed of things. God Bless  [report anonymous abuse]  [ accepted]
 
Hi! June 09, 2005 6:33 PM

I am also a vet tech. Not long ago I knew nothing about this disease, and I have three cats. I remember when I first started my work ata a vet hospital, we got in a sweetheart of a cat in boarding that was fiv positive. I knew nothing about the transmission of fiv, and was worried that if I touched this adorable cat, I would have to sterilize myself b4 I went home so my cats wouldn't get it. I felt kind of stupid when the senior vet tech gave me a curious look when I asked. I really did not know. All I knew was dogs could be in the same room, for saftey sake, the cat was in the room with dogs, not other cats. I am so glad to see this group started. It will help keep many good animals alive.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
I have a fiv+ cat June 28, 2005 3:33 PM

Hi I am glad that there is a group that is willing to talk about feline aids.I rescued a cat 2 yrs ago that tested positive for fiv and the vets I have told me the options and well we could not pts. I rescue sick/abused animals and have recently lost babe 13 yrs old with crf we managed to treat her for 4 yrs with only 1/2 kidney.I lost blackie a throwaway due to a bad declaw job Not what I did! And a rescued ex fighting mastiff that was left to die from heart failure and heartworms. So treating my fiv+ is nothing as long as she is not in pain. So far she shows no signs but I would like to know what to look for and the treatments for complications are. Anyone can see her pic on angelrescue and her name is blondie. She is not the best in giving meds so anything I can do to improve her wellbeing and keeping her symptom free for as long as possible would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and I hope to meet you all.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
 July 12, 2005 9:40 AM

Hello Everyone, I lost my 3-y-old, male Siamese cat, Rockerfella to FIV a yeat ago this month. My beloved Rockerfella is pictured here. At the time, I didn't even know cats got AIDS! One day,he had a patch of fur and skin even missing from his tail, so I took him to our regular Vet who was not in but one of the other vets kept Rocky overnight. Next day she told me that he'd probably got into a fight, and that, "cats' wounds heal so quickly, they get a temp and their insides just go Wacky." So with that scientifc diagnosis, I took Rocky home with his antibiotics and expected all would be well, and it seemed like it was. But 2 weeks later he started to refuse to eat or drink. Well within 4 days, I took him to 2 other Vets, the emergency clinic Vet looked at him, said he had an ulcer in his mouth and gave me a name of another Animal Hosptial and didn't even charge me! He knew. I think he felt sorry for me. Next morning I took this beautiful creature, who by now had a steady thick dribble coming from his mouth to the referral I was given. The doctor examined my baby and said he had a stomtitus in his mouth, but she wanted to run some blood test. I left there relieved, thinking Rockerfella was finally getting treatment. Within 2 hours she called and told me Rocky was in the clinical stages of AIDS and thatt his jaw was rotting out, I needed to come there and sign to put him down. I thought I would loose my mind. I got there and had to be convinced that there was no other option. As they injected my beloved Rockerfella, I made sure my face was the last he'd see and my voice telling him how much I loved him was the last he heard. I still had a 7-yr-old, male Siamese at home, named Singer. He needed me but I was grieving so, I just wasn't there emotionaly for Singer We tested Singer immediately and he was FIV neg. That was July, 04. In Dec. 05' , Singer developed a cold I brought him to this Vet, she's the only one I trust now. Well, Singer tested positive for FIV, my vet told me Singer could live 3 dys, 3 wks, or 3 yrs. Singer is now 8 yrs old, weighs in at 16 lbs of muscle no fat hanging from this cat. He's solid. But every other month Singer has to go on antibiotics. The only symptom he displays is sneezing, coughing and his nose gets stuffy. I'm told he cannot be stressed. So my household revolves around Singer's needs. We'll go the distance. Singer's been referred to as the "Worrior Cat." You can see his photo at my profile page. I didn't mean to write a novel, but there was no short way of saying, "hi, I'm living 24/7 with a dying cat." I needed to find this group so bad, if read my profile you will see it's the reason I joined Care 2. Thanks all for listening. Diane O. and Singer  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Diane July 12, 2005 9:52 PM

Thanks for joining and sharing your story. One thing I need to mention though. If you are able to find a holistic vet in your area I'd recomend getting a second opinion on treatment. The antibiotics are only further supressing your kitty's immune system. You should get started on a plan that will boost the immune system to help fight off the upper respiratory infection. Also, a high quality food will help, such as Innova or Wellness. Please let me know if you have any questions. Jessica  [ send green star]
 
Thanks to everyone!! July 12, 2005 9:54 PM

Thank you everyone who has shared a story or experience. Jessica  [ send green star]
 
 August 27, 2005 5:26 PM

I just tested two tiny kittens, and they both came up FIV positive. I know this is not nearly as bad as it seems, but now the shelter where I work will not adopt them out. Our policy is that all cats & kittens are negative for both, that is how we stay in business. We are going to wait three weeks and retest, and the lady who found them is going to take them back to her vet and discuss this with him. We told her that some vacs against it, actually make the test look positive. So mom might have actually had the shot against. We are all keeping our fingers crossed, I know I cant bring home a FIV positive cat, my hubby does not understand. Besides, I have three grown cats now in an apartment. So another cat of any kind is out right now.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Hi all! September 27, 2005 1:55 PM

This is an important group, I'm glad I stumbled into it! I, too, had a FIV positive cat, Simon. My daughter found him, he was a gorgeous Siamese, huge, but only bones. We took him in and fattened him up. A couple of months later,when he was healthy again, I took him to our vet to get his shots and have him neutered. This vet insisted on doing tests before giving his shots claiming that the leukemia shot would kill him if he was already infected (I have since been told that is not true). I left him there and went home. A few hours later, the vet called and said he had good news and bad. The good was he didn't have leukemia. The bad was that he had kitty AIDS. I had never even heard of it until then. He said he was a very sick cat and I needed to have him put to sleep. Of course my daughter and I were devasted, we had spent weeks coaxing him to eat, and we loved Simon. I said I would think about it. But I couldn't bear to put down an apparently healthy, loving, beautiful cat. I picked him up from the vet, and took him home again. We kept him away from our other cats, and had them tested (all were negative). Since the vet said it was mainly transferred by blood, and my other cats had been sharing food and water bowls with him for all that time, we decided to take the chance for a while. After a few months of being healthy, he did have one episode when he refused all food. A vet recommended a protein gel that comes in a tube. You can get it at PetSmart and Walmart had it, too. Just one inch on your finger is a meal, it's very concentrated. Simon liked it and licked it off my finger several times a day. But if your cat won't lick it up, it would be fairly easy to wipe into their mouths. After a couple of weeks, Simon rallied and began to eat again. Meanwhile, my mom who has Alzheimers and lives in a wonderful assisted living facility, wanted a cat desperately. She had always had cats and missed them. Since she was not really capable of handling the exuberance of a kitten, we decided that Simon would make a perfect friend for her. Simon moved into Villa with mom and was immediately the pamperd darling of the place. Spoiled rotten with bits of bacon and other treats saved from meals and brought to him by his many admirers. He lounged and loved it. Simon lived out his life with Mom, another 8 years, and finally left us two years ago. Since we don't know how old he was when we found him (the vet had guessed 5-6 years), I don't know what his life span was, but I am very glad I didn't listen to the vet (no longer our vet) And I am glad of the chance to share Simon's story because I think it is an important one for others in our situation to hear. He brought a lot of happiness and comfort to a lot of people and only had one more episode of going off his food, we relied on the protein gel once again and he was fine after a couple of weeks. So here's to Simon and all the other Simons out there!!! They can have happy fairly normal lives if people just have the facts!!! Thank you, Jessica, for giving me the chance to share Simon's story!! Take care! Roxie  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Thank you Roxanne September 29, 2005 12:25 PM

For sharing Simon's story. It really makes me angry that so many Veterinarians tell people to euthanize these cats. It is so easy to keep them healthy and keep your other cats from contracting it. The majority of cats that do contract the disease are tom cats that fight all the time. I wish more Vets would get their own facts straight so their clients will be more educated. Just because they are a Veterinarian doesn't mean they know everything. A lot of vets don't keep up on their continuing education and end up sticking to what they learned 20 years ago. Same thing with human doctors. They aren't gods. even if they think they are. Sorry, I went on a rampage there. It is good you found a new vet to go to. I'm glad Simon was able to have a happy life. Jessica L.  [ send green star]
 
Pongo December 01, 2005 4:39 PM

My roommate and I rescue, rehabilitate and adopt out feral cats. We trapped this beautiful white w/ black tom, and because he lloed like a dalmation, we named him after one. This boy turned out not to be feral, but someone's "throw away." we immediately neutered him and got him vaccinated. While getting all his shots we also got him tested and our beautiful boy (who had people fighting to adopt him!) came back FIV and FeLV positive. The vet told us we should euthanize and we looked at her like she was insane. A year later my roommate still has Pongo, we still haven't been able to find him a forever home, so he has to stay in her room or walk with a harness to prevent him from scuffling with any other cats. But he's happy to sleep with her every night and play with the dogs whenever he wants! About a two months ago my vet asked me if I still had POngo or if we had finally decided to euthanize. I told her we still had Pongo, euthanasia would never be an option for a soul as wonderful as his, and then I switched vets.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Laura, thanks for your story.... January 16, 2006 11:53 AM

That is so great you didn't give up on Pongo. I'm surprised he isn't sick though, but felv can be surpressed as well with a good diet and a happy home. I'm glad you switched vets too. You may want to have him retested, it is possible the felv result was a false positive. It's worth a try any way. Jessica  [ send green star]
 
I just lost my fiv+ kitty January 16, 2006 12:04 PM

I just lost my fiv+ kitty 1/12/06 @ 2 pm. I managed to keep her symptom free for 2 yrs but when the fiv spread it made her go blind very quickly and she wouldn't eat. My good vets and techs reassured me that any cat that was tested + lives a average of 1 yr anything over 1 year you are on borrowed time. I was with her holding her in her soft pink blankie giving lots of hugs and kisses with the tears flowing and telling her that I loved her and will always love her and that it was alright for her to join the others. Please see my group for pics and details. To everyone that cares for sick animals and the ones that are fiv+ treat everyday like it is the last. I know that from experiance as the only ones I rescue and care for are on deaths door.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Update on Pongo (It's happy) January 22, 2006 8:19 AM

My roommate has moved to go to vet school and she and her husband just bought a new house. They decided to bring POngo with them and he now has pretty much the run of the house!!! I'm so happy he has a forever home, especially with one of the people that was there from the beginning! She says he is like another cat.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Katrina January 22, 2006 8:20 AM

I am so sorry for your loss and am so grateful that there are people like you out there to be there for these special kitties.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
I have three cats, one tested + for FIV and Corona. May 03, 2006 10:36 AM

Mousie is showing symptoms of the Corona virus. I am hoping he will fight all this and live a normal life. He was feral and it took me a year to be able to pet him. He is now approx. 6 and he is holding his own. Only problem is all my cat's are indoor cats and they all have obviously been exposed. Taking one day at a time.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Aimee... May 14, 2006 9:28 PM

Sorry I haven't been on here much of late...I hope to be more helpful in the near future.. I just wanted to tell you Aimee..if your cat has the feline corona virus, which is FIP (Feline Infectious Perotonitis) I'm afraid the prognisis is not good...this is a very nasty disease and will cause quick deterioration of your cats health. You may want to seperate your other cats untill you are sure about your cats condition. FIP is not something cats recover from usually, plus it is highly contagious...I'm sorry if your vet did not explain this disease to you, or if you thought this was similar to FIV. You can talk to you vet of course to make sure I am giving you the correct information, but I have seen cats with FIP and they get very sick, very fast. The abdomen fills with a milky fluid, that is how it is usually diagnosed. The vet will have to tap the abdomen for the fluid...if there is none, then your cat doesn't have FIP. As far as being FIV positive..it alone shouldn't be a problem, but if your cat does have both diseases, that is not good...I'm very sorry..I hope he turns out to be negative for FIP.... Jess.....  [ send green star]
 
I have done some studying on Corona & FIP May 15, 2006 10:07 AM

What I have found is that some cats get infected with the Corona virus and have symptoms for a few months until their body fights off the virus. Some cats don't progress into full blown FIP. There are also two forms of the FIP I believe they were called wet and dry (something like that). The wet is what you referred to with their belly filling with fluid. The other is basically the opposite which Mousie's symptoms seem to be. But his symptoms also are alot like FIV. I know it is a no win situation but Mousie is still here. I have had more time than I initially had thought months ago. He is actually doing pretty good considering. His coats is a little better. He still gets around, eats, purrs and is happy. When that changes I will have to put him to sleep. He has had a happy life as he was a stray. My other cats seem fine and were also strays, so they have all lived longer lives than they would have if I had not let them move in. My cats have it better than most humans and I would not have it any other way!  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Aimee May 15, 2006 2:18 PM

I'm glad you are giving him a chance, most people would euthanize right away. I suppose there still may be a chance for him to live longer than expected. Hopefully your other cats haven't and won't develope the disease and they will be fine. Good luck with them...  [ send green star]
 
I don't understand why some would Euthanize. May 17, 2006 4:52 AM

He is clearly not suffering, why euthanize? My other cats have already been exposed so what does it matter. I love him he is a gentle old soul. I want him around as long as he is not suffering.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
 May 19, 2006 8:37 AM

The majority of cats with FIV actually die of other old age issues. http://www.brandypup.com/Cats/FIV.html There is no test for FIP. The test is a corona test and there are hundres of cornoa viruses. http://www.orionfoundation.com/  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Some people just don't care... May 20, 2006 8:12 AM

Or they don't "feel like" dealing with it..I worked for a vet who euthanized two cats just because the owner was sick of their ring-worm. That was so horrible...they were the sweetest cats and very beautiful..they didn't even look like they had ring-worm..I think the woman just didn't want them anymore...I hated that Dr. for doing it..I was young and didn't know if I could do anything about it..now I wish I had....some people just want a pet as a status thing and if something gos wrong with it they look at it like getting a new car...it breaks, get another one.... This is another reason I like animals better than people..hehe... The only time I think euthanasia is ok, is when the animals quality of life has gotten so bad it won't eat or clean it's self, or it urine/Bms all over its self. Or if it is so sick or injured there is no hope...if there is hope then the animal should always be given a chance to pull through......I'm fostering a kitten right now..she wasn't in good shape when I first got her, but she is doing very well now.....The place I work at almost didn't take her in, I'm glad they did...  [ send green star]
 
 April 03, 2007 3:20 PM

I wish this group was more active My baby "Tom" is posotive. He is 5 or 6. A former stray I found in November. WAS very, very sick in everyway imaginable.. It took a lot to "cure" him and just recently he is all healthy.. Just NOW we are seeing his true personality. It took 4-5 months of medical care before he finally shook ALL of his illness's. He is doing awesome! He plays, snuggles, meows, tromps around, play bites/fights, loves his siblings, loves to eat (he is now a whopping 20pds.!) loves his litterbox (the digging part) why does it ALWAYS end up OUTSIDE of the box?! Is there a box big enough for a 20 pounder with the head the size of a hudge grapefruit?! LOL... The enclosed ones are to little for him..LOL.. He used to be a cranky, aggressive, mean, hissing, spitting boy..We truly considered giving him up for adoption he was that aggressive! My MANY scars attest for it! He has moments still...He was obviously abused by people at some point. I'd LOVE to kick their butt's! He gets that "fight or flight" syndrome. Only prob is that there is NOTHING going on when he gets these attacks. He perceives danger when it is not there. Poor kitty He LOVES his other kitty siblings though. They all play and run around and make a mess...LOL.. He has NEVER bitten, scratched, hit the others. Just us! He truly is a AWESOME boy! We are in love with "TOMMY TOMSTERS" or "Thomas's English Muffin Head" or "Meaty Choppers" or " Dirty Butt" or "Little Nuts" or "Be nice-nice"...LOL...He is sooo big and mean looking that these names are funny especially when he looks at us like we are freaks... He is a orange tabby...With the BIGGEST fangs you ever did see... I'll be praying for the health of all of your kitty cats!  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
So.... May 08, 2007 9:30 AM

is he FIV +?  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
So.... May 08, 2007 9:31 AM

is he FIV +?  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Hiv+ May 18, 2007 2:53 PM

I have a question..Ibeen a foster mother for 2years now and I have a mother and 5kittens and went to get the mother tested and she's + for aids ..now I'm worried that the kittens will get it..is there any information for me to findout?  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
I would say it is.... May 30, 2007 4:50 AM

probably a fifty-fifty shot. Just like some human mothers that have HIV can have a baby that doesn't have it.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
 June 21, 2007 4:23 PM

Yes, Tommy is posotive.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Francesca June 22, 2007 5:52 AM

How's he doing?  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Madeline November 15, 2007 12:01 PM

Hi, my name is Jamie and I just found out today my sweet heart Madeline was FIV positive. I took her to the vet in March of 06 because she would get sick after every meal. The vet told me she was probably just eating too fast. I had both Madeline and Sasha tested for luk and FIV. ThEy told me if the tests came back positive I would recieve a phone call, if nothing was wrong I wouldn't. I never recieved a phone call. Now today my boyfriend and I have five cats including Sasha and Madeline. Our other two cats started sneezing and getting this film in their eyes. So today my sister was taking them to the vet to find out what was wrong. Well Madeline had started to catch whatever my boyfriends cats had. We told the vet and they looked up Madeline and Sasha's records. The lady said Madeline was FIV positive. I never recived a phone call so for about a year now I have had my other cat Sasha eating from the same bowl. All the other cats have been tested and are neg. but Sasha does not have her shots and is on her way to the vet right now to be tested. I am so scared.....please pray for my Sasha and sweet Madeline....  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Help January 10, 2008 2:56 PM

My cat recently passed away from Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and I was wondering if there is any type of foundation my friends and family could make donations to in honor/memory of my cat. I know there are sites out there with similar things for human diseases but does anyone on here know if one has been set up for research into feline aids? If not, is there a way one can be set up? Thanks a bunch. R.I.P. Ebony  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Hello everyone July 08, 2008 6:43 PM

I'm so sorry I have not been in here for very long time. I have some bad news. The cat I wrote about, who is also in the photo for this group, got very sick about a year ago. I spent a lot of money to find out he had Lymphosarcoma in his kidneys and spleen. The day after I discovered this he became very ill and I had to let him go. He was 14 years old. In the same month or two I had to euthanize two leukemia positive kitties I had raised and my dog who had another type of aggressive cancer. I still have one FIV positive kitty left. He is 11 years old now and seems in good health. I will try to post on here more often. I am still working at a Holistic animal hospital in case anyone has questions. thanks....  [ send green star]
 
 July 09, 2008 7:44 AM

Why cant we post new topics? I thought this was going to be an educational forum on FIV. Instead it's a worriesome place andd people only post undder one topic thread. Everything gets lost. I perrsonaly dont even test ffor FIV. It's not easy to catch, yes it's out ther. But it's an immune system compromise. It's not a deadly death sentacne any more. Let learn, lets educate andd stop the fear and panic of FIV. Madeline Please read as much as you can about FIV. For one it's not easy to transmit. You can only catch it ffrom very deep bite wonds or from sex. This is not a killer disease and the majority of cats die from another issue. I do nto even test for FIV. keep the cats healthy by feeding a good wquality foodd and healthy l;ifestyle. Do not over vaccinate Dawn R make any doantation to your local vet schools, shelters or also Cornell Univerisity is a very nice place that studdies alot of feline health Jessica So sorry about all your sorrow and loss. I hope time will heal your heart. Thanks for taking care of and caring for your animals.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
 July 09, 2008 10:53 AM

YEA - New topics are showing up! thanks!  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
In memory of Q and Groucho January 06, 2009 8:54 PM

In 1999, my husband and I took in 2 cats that were sitting in a cage in the back of a vet in IL. They were in that cage for a year, as no one wanted them because...they had FIV. I didn't know much about FIV at the time, but knew that humans couldn't get it. My husband and I had just got married then and when we moved to MI, we brought the 2 cats home with us. The vet told us that they were a father and son. The father, age 5, we named Groucho, after Groucho Marx. The son, age 4, we named Q after the character on Star Trek The Next Generation. Initially Groucho wanted nothing to do with the humans. Q was a cuddly one who loved to be around us and in no time he became "daddy's boy." In 2001, Q kept getting a sore on his nose. The vet thought it might be FIV related. Then that summer our apartment's AC went out and the apt. complex was run under poor management at the time, so for about a week it was 90+ degrees in our apt! Every day we called and asked when maintenance was coming out. We did everything we could to keep the cats cool, despite their protests (i.e. spraying them down with cool water). Then the day they finally came out and fixed our AC, something seemed to be wrong with Q. Within a span of 24 hours he went blind, starting walking in circles, and then died. This was heartbreaking for both of us. Our "cutie Q" was now gone. Realizing we were all he had left, Groucho warmed up to us like the day after Q was gone! He seemed skittish, but suddenly was sitting in my husband's lap. In no time at all he too became "daddy's boy." Always wanting his daddy. My husband didn't do anything differently than I. In fact before Q and Groucho, he never even had a cat! But they seemed to be glued to him, and while he was away on business trips, they'd look at me like, "oh ok, you'll do." LOL Groucho seemed so healthy that you'd have never known he had FIV. That is until late summer 2008. He started losing weight, and the vet was concerned about his gums and some teeth (the ones he had left anyways). Prior to this he had 2 teeth cleanings and each time he lost a couple of small teeth. Well in October 2008 he lost the last 4 rear teeth and then 1 upper canine tooth. So he had to give up his much-loved Cat Chow Indoor dry food, and live solely on moist food. Unlike with Q (who ate anything that didn't try to eat him), Groucho was VERY, VERY finicky. One day he'd like something but not the next; one week he'd like one brand, but not the next week. So we had to constantly switch around the moist food to get him to eat. With the vet's blessing, we even gave him Gerber baby food. He wasn't lactose intolerant, so I gave him milk every morning. Every morning he'd wake daddy between 4 & 5am for his breakfast, and then wake me around 8am for his milk. The hole where the canine tooth was...wasn't healing. In fact with each re-check, the vet said it was getting bigger, and he had problems with eating because food would get up in his nose via that hole. Because my family still live in IL and my mother recently fractured her hip, we made frequent trips back and forth and took Groucho with us. As soon as he was let out of his carrier, he'd climb up front and sit in daddy's lap while daddy drove. I'd offer my lap, but he preferred daddy's. We had to take him to the vet for a re-check on December 23rd, the day we left for our last trip to IL. At that point Groucho was down to 5lbs. While in IL, we sleep on an air mattress in a bedroom at my mother's. Towards the end of the trip, Groucho started urinating on the bed, daily. The vet later said it was probably because he was too weak to be jumping on and off the air mattress (it's one of those taller ones). By the time we left to come back home on January 4, 2009, we knew that for his next re-check, which was today, that we'd have to face the inevitable. Over the last 2 days Groucho ate almost next to nothing, except some tiny pieces of pork I gave him while we were eating dinner tonight. He was walking wobbly, he was so weak. Last night I held him for a bit and cried on him and said, "when you get up there, you tell Q that he, you, mommy, and daddy will all be together again some day. I love you." Of course he didn't appreciate the wet tears on his ear. So we took him to the vet at 6pm tonight and all the vet did was look at him and said that we're at the end and euthanizing would be the humane thing to do and we already knew that before we walked in there. He said he looked like he lost another pound or pound and a half since just before Christmas. We stayed with Groucho during the procedure and even some minutes after he was gone. This was beyond heartbreaking for both of us. But we were commended for taking such good care of him that he lived to age 14-1/2. But still, as I cannot have children because I have PCOS, I felt tonight like I lost a child that I gave birth to. In fact I'm still crying on and off, almost 6 hours later. Like Q, Groucho is being cremated. When I brought Q's ashes home, I left them in the container they sent him home in, because we planned to wait till Groucho passed so that we could get 1 larger granite urn and have them both put in it together. I am already missing my Boo (my nickname for Groucho), and the next few days, especially the mornings, will be rough for us. I've lost non-FIV cats (lost as in deceased) in the past, but these two deaths seemed to have hit me the hardest. I hope and pray that some day they will finally find a cure for FIV. If we had known how things would end for Q and Groucho, would we still have brought them home? Definitely. Because they brought a tremendous amount of joy to our lives. They were our babies.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
 January 08, 2009 2:14 PM

Saving an animal,no matter how long (or little )he may live is always worth it.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
FIV Research January 09, 2009 11:49 PM

After Q died, I tried to find a research place to make donations to. My husband and I don't have alot of money, but even small contributions here and there would help. But back then I couldn't find anything. So I went looking again after Groucho died. That's when I stumbled across an obituary of a 32 year old man who died suddenly, and he was a DVM. A research fund has been set up by his family in his memory. For those wishing to donate as my husband I did and will again whenever financially possible, here is the info: Dr. Erik M. Daly FIV Research Fund attn: Katherine Desmond The College of Veterinary Medicine 2015 SW 16th Avenue P.O. Box 100125 Gainesville, FL 32618 I sent Q and Groucho's story, along with our donation, in memory of Q and Groucho.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Thanks Kelly January 11, 2009 10:50 AM

I've been looking for a donation place for the longest time, over a year actually since the last of our two FIV+ kitties passed away. They were so much younger than yours. I'm glad to hear Q and Groucho lived such full lives. Misty and Ebony only lived to be 2 and 4 but I'm glad that their cases seem to be rare. Most posts on here have the cats living much longer with it. Once our little Ebbie passed away, we were so distraught we really didn't know what to do. I knew though that I wanted to donate to the research and hopefully CURE for it so no one else would have to suffer as we had. Thank you sooo much for finding that. It means so much to us as a family to know that Misty and Ebony can live on through our stories and donations to the research of FIV.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
Thank you January 12, 2009 10:12 PM

It really warms my heart that I'm not the only one that has been looking to donate. The closer we are to a cure, the better. I'm really sorry that your cats didn't live long (but were probably well loved during their lives with you & your family). Actually, I was initially told that cats with FIV can live almost as long as a cat without FIV, as long as they're kept indoors and well taken care of. But when we were nearing the end with Groucho, my vet said that he spoke with a specialist friend of his, who said that although it's possible for a cat with FIV to live past age 10, apparently it's really not that common - that most do not live past age 10. I think like with humans, it probably depends on alot of factors...I mean how is it that many humans had been infected with HIV and then AIDS and then died, while others have had HIV for some time now and are seemingly healthy. I mean, I know they have new drugs out all the time, but that's not the case with cats. Q and Groucho were blood-related. Q was Groucho's son. Q lived to only age 6, while Groucho made it to 14-1/2. The vet tried Q on Interferon (when our slightly chubby Q started to suddenly lose weight without an apparent cause), but we didn't do that with Groucho, yet Groucho lived longer (and Groucho didn't start to lose weight until a year ago). Anyhow, my vet, and his specialist friend, were both completely amazed that Groucho lived as long as he did. He was quite the miracle.  [ send green star]  [ accepted]
 
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Cats with AIDS (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)
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