Would you adopt a cat with FIV?

[sjparker]

Does anyone have a cat with FIV and how extensive are the care requirements?

[Cryton]

It really varies from cat to cat. One cat may be fine with simply a diet change and added vitamins/supplements while others may need to be permanently on meds. You'll have to keep a close eye on them as any small infection (from something even as small as a flea bite) is very serious and must be treated immediately. It's a lot like AIDS is in humans so it can be spread to other cats too in much the same fashions (saliva-to-blood contact, etc..). Expect for the price to be more than a 'healthy' cat as you'll need a very specialized diet, likely supplements and more vet visits. Personally I wouldn't adopt one since I'd be too scared of it spreading to my other cat, the financial/vet visit aspect I'm unfazed by as I don't pay for any of that anyways (family of vets).

[amz155]

With so many cats available for adoption, why bother with one that has a known health issue?

[theguyz]

With so many cats available for adoption, why bother with one that has a known health issue?

I'd personally love to give an animal a good lifestyle due to its health, and make it have a better life rather then having it passed up and put down.

[Keelie]

I'd personally love to give an animal a good lifestyle due to its health, and make it have a better life rather then having it passed up and put down.

Could not agree more.

[sjparker]

Thanks everyone for the responses. There's a lot to think about and I'm trying not to get attached but I don't know if I'll be able to make a "rational" decision. BTW this is one of the politest cats I have ever met who is so grateful for any kindness shown to him.

[mart242]

I'd personally love to give an animal a good lifestyle due to its health, and make it have a better life rather then having it passed up and put down.

But on the other hand, while you decide if you should save a sick cat or not hundreds of healthy cats are being put down because their owners did not bother to have them neutered. With the same amount of money, you could shelter two or more healthy cats instead of a single one..

[amz155]

I'd personally love to give an animal a good lifestyle due to its health, and make it have a better life rather then having it passed up and put down.

And risk it passing on the illness to another otherwise healthy cat?

I just think that pets are costly enough as it is and unforeseen health costs can pop up at any time. Better to save for the odd acute ailment that may affect a healthy cat rather than adopt a cat that will knowingly cost more. IMO, its one thing to have a pet for a few years and then have it come down with something which you pay to treat in a heartbeat. But its another thing to willingly adopt a pet knowing that it is not healthy.

The good thing is that the illness has been disclosed beforehand you are making a fully informed decision. Better than having the disease surprise you later. If you decide to adpot, at least you can do your reserach ahead of time and know what you are getting into and decide if you are willing to give it the treatment, food, care, medication, etc. it would need.

Good luck.

[Cheap Cat]

BTW this is one of the politest cats I have ever met who is so grateful for any kindness shown to him.

You got me with this line. Poor guy. :cry: You probably should talk to a vet and get some idea of what is involved with this. There must also be websites of other owners who can help you out. When my cat developed diabetes, I learned more from other cat owners who were going through or had gone through the same thing than from the vet. Questions only you can answer are: can you afford the costs and do you have the time for a pet with special needs? Vet bills can be extremely expensive.

Dealing with a sick animal can also be very time consuming. I have no idea what a FIV cat requires but I would assume you would be dealing with a lot of different illnesses and probably medication that has to be given on a certain schedule. My cat was on insulin for 3 months and that meant putting her schedule before mine. This involved rushing home to give insulin, declining dinner invitations due to her schedule and not being able to go away as I was the only one who could give her shots or test her blood. It was very difficult and when I was out, I feared coming home to a dead cat. Luckily, I got her sugar under control. Do you have support to help you with the cat? I think that is very important.

[Focus]

Maybe a little late but anyway, my FIV cat is now 16 years old and FIV effect is very min. And FIV will no be pass on unless there is blood, so if the cat is friendly i will say give him some love.

[Lazy Susan]

Unless you have money to burn, why would you bother getting a sick animal?

It's definitely not worth it, IMO. Like someone else mentioned, the cat might pass on the disease to other cats. It's nice what you're trying to do; however, it's very much misguided. Let the natural order of things take over. There's already such a huge overpopulation of cats that to keep one that you know is sick is just wrong. I could maybe understand if the cat had developed FIV after you had owned her and developed an attachment to her and you didn't want to put her down.

This reminds me of my friend's dog that had cancer. Instead of putting him down his family decided that they would spend thousands of dollars in vet bills to try and cure the dog. Unfortunately, all this did was prolong the pain and suffering that the dog went through.

[mikemike192]

I'm not sure if you already know this or not,

If you already own other cats that are not FIV+, the vet/petstore/where you are adopting the cat should not allow you to get the cat as it is a transmittable disease.

On the other side, if you already own FIV+ cat or you only plan on getting one, it's a safe thing to do as it doesn't spread to human or other animals.

I think it's ok to get a FIV+ cat if you have the money and the heart to keep one. (actually doing a good deed) I've deal with FIV+ cats and they are nothing different from other normal cats. They usually won't die or get sick easily if given proper diet and extra attention. It's not "alot" of extra money that you need to spend on the medicines or supplements, whereas it'd cost more comparing to the price i need to pay when my 'healthy' cats get gourmet food/sick/injuries/grooming.

Bottom line, it's worth it when you actually love the cat.

[audit13]

My story is sort of off topic but here goes.

I adopted a young Persian kitten and, around the age of 2, she was diagnosed with autoimmune disease. It was expensive to diagnose and treat. The vet put her on medication, including prednisone, and she bounced back for another 6 months. She started to get worse and I had to have her put down. Was she worth the added expense and my time? She sure was. Would I do it again rather than put her down right away? Yes, without a doubt or hesitation. Her last 6 months with me were a joy.

Would I adopt the cat? I would if I could handle the bills and emotional toll it may require.

[Lucky Ducky]

No