Katie is a two year old calico beauty! She came to Cat Haven as a kitten when we found her running around the local PetSmart store where someone had dumped her. We scooped her up and have been caring for her ever since. After taking Katie to the vet, we learned that she had FIV, which means that a virus shows up in her blood that could affect her immune system and make her more susceptible to illness. So far, Katie has only shown symptoms of boisterous good health and she should live a fairly normal, healthy life as your pampered pet. She is very affectionate and playful and looking for similar humans! She is happy to play with any kind of toy, but catnip is her favorite! Katie is definitely a lap cat, but she doesn't care for being picked up and carried around. For that reason, her ideal home would have older or no children. Katie enjoys feline company if you have another special cat like her!
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1. The Feline Immuno-deficiency Virus is a slow virus that affects a cat's immune system over a period of years.
2. FIV is a cat-only disease and cannot be spread to humans or other non-felines.
3. FIV cats most often live long, healthy, and relatively normal lives with no symptoms at all.
4. FIV is not easily passed between cats. It cannot be spread casually - like in litter boxes, water and food bowls, or when snuggling and playing. It is rarely spread from a mother to her kittens.
5. The virus can be spread through blood transfusions, badly infected gums, or serious, penetrating bite wounds. (Bite wounds of this kind are extremely rare, except in free-roaming, unneutered tomcats.)
6. FIV-positive cats should be kept as healthy as possible. Keep them indoors and free from stress, feed them a high-quality diet, and treat any secondary problems as soon as they arise.
By: Kristi Littrell, Best Friends Animal Society
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