Cat Illnesses

We at Sheba’s home specialize in taking in and rehoming sick, disabled and elderly cats.  Not all of our cats are or have these conditions however if you have just spotted a cat on our site you are interested in and it  is marked with an FeLV or FiV, as there is a great deal of misinformation out there about these conditions here is some information on the conditions.

• FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus)
• • FeLV is a retrovirus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrovirus (new tab) that can lead to a range of health issues in cats, including anemia, lymphoma, and other diseases. It primarily affects a cat’s bone marrow and lymphatic system. It is important to note that cats with FeLV can live normal lives for prolonged periods of time with the condition. 
  • FeLV is mainly transmitted through close contact with infected cats, such as grooming, fighting, or sharing litter boxes and food dishes. It can also be transmitted from mother to kittens during birth or through nursing.  However it is easy to spread if you have other cats without the condition they can mix as long as the non FeLV are vaccinated. Many vet practices consider the FeLV FiV vaccine as a core vaccine and this has helped reduce the spread of these. The vaccine is an inexpensive preventative for every cat to help avoid them getting sick later even if they simply go outside and come across other cats. 
  • Symptoms of FeLV can vary and may include weight loss, lethargy, anemia, and recurrent infections. Some cats can carry the virus for years without showing symptoms, while others can deteriorate quickly.  As stated earlier they can live long and full lives even with showing the symptoms. FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus):There is no cure for FeLV, but supportive care and management can help extend an infected cat’s lifespan. Vaccination can also help prevent new infections. The main special care with an FeLV cat is if you notice they show symptoms such as not eating or sneezing is to have a vet checkup. 
• FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus):
  • FIV has been sometimes referred to as “Feline AIDS” because it is a virus that affects a cat’s immune system in a way similar to how the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects humans.  It is important to note that this cannot spread to humans or other animals and even in cats it is really hard to spread this condition unlike FeLV that is much easier to spread. 
  • FIV is primarily spread through bite wounds during cat fights or through close contact, such as mating. It is not commonly spread through sharing food or water bowls. Having your cats fixed is a great way to prevent this as they will not desire to mate and their desires to fight also drop. 
  • Infected cats can carry the virus for years without showing any symptoms, but over time, their immune system weakens, making them more susceptible to other infections and diseases.
  • There is no cure for FIV, but infected cats can lead relatively normal lives with proper care, a balanced diet, and regular veterinary check-ups. Preventing the spread of the virus involves keeping infected cats indoors and spaying/neutering to reduce fighting and mating behavior.
  • From our experience with FiV on a fixed cat that is not prone to aggressive behavior the condition will not spread.  It takes a quite a deep, sustained bite with blood to blood contact.  Blood outside the cat the illness cannot live but for moments so there is little concern of transfer. 
• FIP (Feline infectious peritonitis)
  • You may have also heard of FiP and this is a much less common condition. You will not see the designation on any cat for reasons we will discuss later.  We at Sheba’s Home have only ever seen one cat with this condition ourselves.  FiP is a mutated strain of a coronavirus (No not the human C-19) even if a cat has the mutated strain there is no way to say for sure they will develop FiP themselves.  There is no testing for FiP and the factors determining why one cat becomes diseased while others remain unaffected are unclear. FIP remains one of the least understood of all cat diseases.  In advanced stages there is little to no treatment.  There is a treatment that is available in some countries and we have heard is now approved in USA however even that is not a sure way to save an FiV cat as again this is a very misunderstood issue.