The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a retrovirus that affects approximately 2.5 to 4.4 per cent of cats all over the world.
It compromises the immune system of the affected cats and makes them more susceptible to secondary infections from bacteria or other viruses.
In the early 1980s, HIV became a worldwide health issue and the virus was so misunderstood it caused a lot of misguided fear.
FIV was first isolated in cats in 1986. Because it belongs to the same class of virus as HIV, it resulted in the same wave of fear amongst cat owners, rescues, and veterinarians.
A positive test for FIV meant certain death for cats. Cats that tested positive for FIV were destroyed immediately since the virus was thought to be deadly and highly contagious.
Unfortunately for cats, the misinformation and hysteria surrounding FIV persisted. It is only in recent years that FIV cats have been given a chance to live out their lives.
The first common fallacy is that FIV is deadly. Cats with FIV can live long, happy, and very healthy lives.
With good food, proper care, and regular veterinary check-ups, the majority of cats with FIV will die from geriatric causes.
Many will live most of their lives without any symptoms because FIV is a “slow virus” that has a very long incubation time.
Some FIV cats will never show symptoms at all, and will die of old age, without anyone ever knowing they had the virus.
FIV does affect the immune system, and cats that are not properly cared for, strays, and ferals with FIV are far more likely to contract and succumb to a secondary infection.
Although research into this area is still scarce, some studies show that indoor cats with FIV will, on average, lead longer and healthier lives than street cats without the virus.
Another common misconception is that FIV is highly contagious. Let me start by saying that FIV is only contagious to other cats. There is absolutely no chance a human being, or any other species will catch this virus from a cat.
For many years, the general consensus was that FIV is highly contagious, and any cats with the virus should be euthanized immediately. Needless to say, over the years, thousands of cats were euthanized for this reason alone.
FIV is a short-living virus and will survive outside the body for a few seconds. Because it is such a frail virus, the chances of transferring it via litter box, food sharing, mutual grooming, or even mating are minute.
The virus can be found in saliva and blood and the only sure way for a cat to become infected is via deep bite wounds. That is why the vast majority of FIV positive cats are intact males who are largely outdoor pets, strays, or members of a feral colon, fighting for territory or food.
Indoor cats have almost no chance of being infected with the virus.
Finally, in the past, kittens born to FIV positive mothers were euthanized without being tested. The assumption was that the virus would automatically pass to the babies.
Although there is a slight chance for a mother cat to transfer the virus to her kittens, the more likely scenario is that the kittens will have the antibodies at birth.
For the most part, the antibodies will go away naturally by the time the kittens are about six months old. A test too early in life will often result in a false positive.
Slowly, the myths that surround FIV are being dispelled, and more and more people are beginning to realize that a cat with FIV is no different from a cat without it.
FIV cats live in harmony with healthy cats without ever spreading the virus. However, the stigma is still there and additional research is needed to convert the skeptics.
Magdalena Romanow is
a volunteer at Katie’s
Place, an animal shelter
in Maple Ridge.