Cat Health Symptoms

My cat was diagnosed with feline aids! Can anything help him?

I am devastated that my cat was just diagnosed with feline aids. I did not really know anything about this condition until the vet explained it to me. He got out of the house a week ago and we found him really hurt in our yard. It turns out that he got attacked by another cat and got infected with this disease by it. I don't know what to do. Any ideas about what may help him. Any and all suggestions are welcome. My kids are unaware of what the vet told me and they will be crushed if he continues to get sicker!

Public Comments

1. try looking online for a suport group, people that also have cats with aids this way they can tell you what to expect,and help you with other problems, sorry to hear this
2. Feline immunodeficiency virus, or FIV, is a widespread viral infection that attacks the immune system of cats. It is caused by the same family of viruses that triggers AIDS in humans and has much the same devastating impact on infected cats. It is often referred to as "feline AIDS." The virus devastates a cat's immune system, stopping it from effectively combating other diseases and infections. Infected cats eventually fall prey to a wide variety of secondary illnesses that overwhelmingly prove fatal. There is no cure, but cats can live for up to 10 years – much of it in seeming good health – before succumbing. It is estimated that between one percent and 14 percent of the cat population is infected with FIV. The disease is transmitted from cat to cat by blood and saliva. This happens primarily through biting and scratching so outdoor and male cats that fight with other cats are at greatest risk.
3. I'm going to just lay down the truth for you. AIDS is obviously something that will kill anything with time. There is no cure, however, they have been running tests on finding ways to help out with the feline's T-cells. However, this is experimental, so there are no definite conclusions from the process. Even if you were to take the process, your cat will eventually die. The most humane to due with your children, is to sit them down and tell them that your cat is very sick, very very sick. Tell them there is no treatment, but there is a way for the cat not to feel pain. You need to put the cat to sleep, that will ensure that your cat won't suffer through this virus. Pets have a shorter life-span already, and this will just accelerate the process of death for the cat. Just put it to sleep, and explain the situation. Wait a couple of weeks for your kids to calm down a little, then go looking for another cat. Nothing will ever replace your cat, but getting another one to have around will never hurt.
4. There is no cure! FIV is a death sentence. There may be a Yahoo list/support group for people w/ FIV cats. In any event, you cannot save your cat, only try to make his life comfortable & prolong it in a dignified manor. He has a compromised immune system & should be living inside away from other cats. Colestrum, Lysine & Immuoregulin (sp?) help to boost the immune system... the 1st 2 you can find at health food stores. Feed a quality food approproate for his age & keep him as healthy (otherwise) as possible. Quite often it is a secondary infection that ends up killing the cat.
5. FIV IS NOT A DEATH SENTENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes its true that your cats immune system has been severely compromised and that's its not very prone to infections but with proper care and treatment a cat can live a very happy life for years. I know how you feel about it tho. My own cat was also recently diagnosed with the same virus in the same way. He went missing for afew days and was then found in the garden in a very weakened condition and was like that for afew weeks. After about 2 weeks and several trips to different vets we found out he had FIV and he was put on antibiotics and whatever bug he had picked up seemed to clear up and hes pretty much back to normal now. The only problem we have with him is that he's lost a lot of weight which we're trying to get him to put back on. We know he can get sick again at any time and keep a very close eye on him. (Right now he's asleep right beside me on the bed)
6. This is not always a death sentence. My cat has had FIV for a few years and is fine. He gets colds a little more often than other cats, but other than that, he is is same old self! You just need to keep an eye on your cat and make sure to take him to the vet when he gets sick. At some point, the disease may progress, but until then, enjoy your cat. Make sure he eats quality food, give him lots of love, and keep him indoors to prevent him from spreading the disease to other cats.
7. Most cats with FIV live, oh, fifteen years or more. The only time it's a death sentence is when you get a vet not up on the new research who recommends automatic euthenasia. I have two FIV cats who got it while they were tom cats (they're indoor and neutered now). Looking at them you'd never know they have FIV. They've lived 24/7 with our three non-FIV cats and nobody else has gotten the disease in 10 years--it is not easily spread. An infected cat would need to bite a non-infected one to spread it and if they don't bite, they won't pass the disease. What you need to do is keep the FIV cat as healthy as possible. Usualy the symptoms are a dry coat, runny eyes, or mouth problems. Treat those as they come up. Don't let them get close to sick cats, as they have a harder time healing due to their lower immune system. And don't let the vet use a live vaccine, these cats need to be vaccinated with a killed vaccine--their low immune systems can't handle live vaccines. You have many more years with your cat ahead of you. Don't worry. If you want to talk with FIV cat owners, there are at least two FIV lists on Yahoogroups, we can tell you anything you need to know. As diseases go, it's a very easy one to handle and it doesn't shorten the cat's lifespan by more than a few years.