Feline Immunodeficiency (FIV)

What is Feline Immunodeficiency?

Feline Immunodeficiency (FIV), is a virus that attacks the immune system of a cat. Like all viruses, FIV is a tiny microorganism that can only replicate itself inside living cells. FIV is specific to members of the cat family and does not pose a risk to other species of animals or people.

Transmission

FeLV is only contagious to other cats. Unlike FeLV, FIV can not be spread through actions such as grooming, sharing food/litterboxes, etc. FIV is only spread through deep bite wounds from one cat to another. Infected mothers can sometimes transmit the virus to their kittens, but this is a very rare occasion.

Because FIV is not spread through non-aggressive contact, FIV+ cats can live with non-FIV cats, so long as everyone is friendly and coexists without fighting.

The virus is not airborne and dies rapidly in the environment, so you won't have to worry about carrying the virus on clothes when you leave the house or have friends over.

FIV is found worldwide. In general, about 2-5% of the cat population in North America is infected with the virus.

Diagnosing

You wouldn't know a cat had FIV by just looking at it, and many people have FIV+ cats in their home and don't even know it because they never had them tested.

FIV is screened using an ELISA snap test (often in combination with the FeLV test). All KHS cats over 6 months old available for adoption or sent to foster were tested for FIV beforehand, and we will let you know if you are specifically taking an FIV+ or FIV exposed cat. 

We don't test kittens under 6 months old for FIV due to there being a higher chance of a false positive. There are two scenarios where a positive antibody test may not represent true infection. Infected mother cats transfer FIV antibodies to nursing kittens, so kittens born to infected mothers may receive positive test results for several months after birth. However, few of these kittens actually are or will become infected. 

False positives do occasionally occur with these tests, so adopters may retest the cat at a later date or submit blood via their personal veterinarian for further laboratory diagnostics. Cats older than 1 year of age who test negative tend to remain negative, even with exposure, due to natural resistance to infection at that age.

Treatment and Care

There is currently no specific treatment for FIV-infected cats. There is no treatment to eliminate the virus from the body. Most FIV+ cats will eventually die or require humane euthanasia due to diseases related to their infection. However, many cats showing FIV-related disease will improve with symptomatic treatment, at least temporarily. For example, if FIV is causing immunosuppression and the patient develops secondary infections, the secondary infections may be treatable, leading to clinical improvement. 

FIV+ cats do not require special medication or care while they are healthy. They are more likely to become sick than a non-FIV cat due to the virus affecting their immune system. The most important things for an FIV+ cat is to protect them from stress, feed them a high quality diet, take them to the vet regularly, and address any health problems immediately.

Life Span and Quality of Life

There are many myths about FeLV. As a result, it is often difficult to find people willing to adopt or foster FeLV+ cats. FeLV is a very manageable virus, and with proper routine care, these cats can live normal lives.

If you adopt or foster an FeLV+ cat, just be aware that those cats may have a shorter lifespan, and they should be taken to a veterinarian as soon as a problem is noticed. Many people who adopt and care for FelV+ cats describe it as a positive, deeply rewarding experience, and they would gladly do so again.

Post-Adoption Information

After you adopt a FIV+ cat, we recommend you schedule an appointment with your regular veterinarian to establish a relationship. Your veterianarian can recommend any preventative measures they feel your new family member would benefit from.

Moving into a new home can be stressful for cats since they thrive on familiarity and consistency. Be aware that cats are generally very skilled at hiding their pain and discomfort. Prolonged stress can, in turn, lead to illness. If you adopt a FIV+ cat, it's important to be aware of symptoms of common stress-related illnesses that can appear.