Category Archives: FIV positive felines

2024, Adoption, FIV positive felines

A trio of fantastic felines

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Shy Sabrina just needs an adopter with patience and a love for cats.
25
Apr

The Aiken County Animal Shelter has three wonderful indoor-only cats available for adoption – Sabrina, Tom and Yoda – who can’t seem to catch a break.

Sabrina is a velvet black, long-haired cat who loves to be petted but gets scared when you pick her up. This sweet and gentle 3-year-old, 7-pound kitty was brought to the shelter in January because her owner’s landlord changed their policy and no longer allowed pets. Poor Sabrina was terrified and confused when she got here, yet still accepted and enjoyed the attention she received from staff and volunteers. She found a home almost immediately but was returned after a short time because her adopter thought she was hiding under the bed too much. Now two months later, Sabrina is still looking for her forever home.

FIV positive cat Tom is hoping to be adopted soon.
FIV positive cat Tom is hoping to be adopted soon.

Tom is a 4-year-old, 12-pound, gray and white tomcat who arrived at the County Shelter in February as a stray. He is friendly and affectionate but can get a little feisty when he gets overstimulated. Since being moved from his lobby kennel to our indoor/outdoor cat facility, he’s been more lovey-dovey and much happier. Tom deserves a wonderful home with an adopter who knows and loves cats.

FIV positive cat Yoda is hoping to be adopted soon.
FIV positive cat Yoda is hoping to be adopted soon.

Yoda is an 8-pound, light gray and white Tabby who’s cuddly and outgoing. This skinny guy arrived at the shelter in January 2023 as an injured stray. His ears were ravaged by ear mites and he had an open wound on his right ear that had to be surgically repaired. He was adopted and had a real home for a while, but was returned when his adopter moved. Now, cutie Yoda is back at the shelter, waiting for his luck to improve.

One reason Tom and Yoda are still looking for homes might be because they both are FIV positive (FIV+). FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, a condition that weakens a cat’s immune system. Misconceptions about the disease persist, but here are the facts:

  • FIV is not as highly contagious as experts once thought. It can only be transmitted to cats through blood transfusions or deep bite wounds. Cats cannot get FIV through casual contact with an FIV + cat. Saliva does not transmit FIV.
  • Most FIV+ cats live long, healthy lives, and many never show any symptoms of the virus. Cats with FIV just need to be kept indoors and fed a balanced, nutritionally complete diet. With proper vet care, FIV+ cats can live as long as their indoor counterparts (13-18 years), and much longer than cats who live outdoors (3-8 years).
    FIV is a species-specific disease. It cannot be transmitted to humans or any other animal.

Despite these reassuring facts, FIV positive cats, like Tom and Yoda, continue to be passed over by potential adopters. However, these loving felines can bring great joy and companionship to the lucky people who adopt them.

If you’re looking to adopt a feline companion, please come see Sabrina, Tom and Yoda. Great news: their adoption fees have all been sponsored! The Aiken County Animal Shelter is located at 333 Wire Road and open Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2022, Adoption, Cats, FIV positive felines

FIV positive cats can live long, happy lives

Posted on by Bob Gordon
FIV positive cat Tuxedo Bogartis hoping to be adopted soon.
22
Jul

The Aiken County Animal Shelter has two wonderful cats available for adoption – Bogart and Creampuff – who have been waiting way too long for their forever homes.

Cream Puff, FIV+, hoping to be adopted soon.Bogart is a 13-pound Tuxedo and Cream Puff is an 8-pound, orange and white Tabby. These felines arrived at the shelter as strays more than two months ago. Both are four years old, handsome and sweet. And both are FIV positive (FIV+).

FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, a condition that weakens a cat’s immune system. Misconceptions about the disease persist, but here are the facts:

  • FIV is not as highly contagious as experts once thought. It can only be transmitted through blood transfusions or deep bite wounds. Other cats cannot get FIV through casual contact with an FIV + cat. Saliva does not transmit FIV.
  • Most FIV+ cats live long, healthy lives, and many never show any symptoms of the virus. As long as they are not exposed to any other virus or bacteria that their weakened immune system can’t handle, they can live happy, normal lives. Cats with FIV just need to be kept indoors and fed a balanced, nutritionally complete diet. With proper vet care, most FIV+ cats live as long as their indoor counterparts (13-18 years), and much longer than cats who live outdoors (3-8 years).
  • FIV is a species-specific disease. It cannot be transmitted to humans or any other animal.

Despite these reassuring facts, FIV positive cats, like Bogart and Cream Puff, continue to be passed over by potential adopters. But please keep in mind that these terrific cats can bring immense joy and companionship to you and your family. They need love, too.

Empty the Shelter event continues through July 30
th

With the support of the BISSELL Pet Foundation, FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter are hosting a special “Empty the Shelter” event through this Saturday, July 30. The event features reduced adoption fees for pets (dogs/pups are $25, cats/kittens just $10) and fees for many dogs will even be waived during this promotion.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2020, Cats, Dr. Lisa Levy, FIV positive felines, injured animals, neglected pets, News, surgeries

A Tale of Two Kitties: Greg and Torino

Posted on by Bob Gordon
22
Dec

I often wish that animals could talk, so they could tell us what happened to them.

Greg is a complete mystery. He is a big, handsome gray cat but his feet were a disaster when he arrived at the shelter. Three of his feet had big, red fleshy areas on the underside. After sedating him to get a better look, I could see one pad on each foot had split open and what I was looking at was the inside of his pad on the outside! The pad had tried to close around it, so this had been going on for some time.

Surgery was extensive. Two of the pads were toe pads, so it was easier and a better prognosis to remove the toe. He lost a toe on one front foot and one rear foot. The real problem was the other front foot, as that was the large pad he walks on. The excess tissue was removed and the pad sewed closed.

Torino quickly recovered from his surgery and was adopted shortly after becoming available at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

Unfortunately, pads do not heal well and I was worried about his recovery. As predicted, the surgery site opened again – twice! At that point, I just had to bandage it and let it heal on its own. This required weeks of bandage changes, but Greg was the most patient cat I have every dealt with. He is super affectionate, loves to be held and the whole staff loves him.

Greg tested positive for the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), so he needs to be an indoor-only cat. FIV positive cats can live with FIV negative cats if they get along since it is transmitted primarily by bite wounds. But since we don’t know if Greg gets along with other cats, and don’t want to take a chance of infecting another cat, we recommend he be adopted as an only cat.

Torino came into the shelter with the string from a “fuzzy dice” car ornament wrapped around his rear leg, cutting off the circulation. I had already left for the day so when Judith, my vet tech, called, I thought I would just be going in to sedate him and remove the string. But one look at his leg and I could tell the muscles of his leg were dead. Our only option was an emergency amputation. Dead muscles can quickly make an animal extremely sick.

We had no idea if Torino would be friendly and adoptable. If he was feral, he would not be a good candidate for the surgery as he would require antibiotics and follow-up care. What if we couldn’t get our hands on him the next day? I decided to give him a chance and go ahead with the surgery. The procedure went well and he recovered normally.

Young Xander Stefanakos spends time with Greg, a super affectionate FIV positive cat who needs a loving home.

The next day we could touch him but he cowered in the back of his kennel, preferring to be left alone. Amazingly, after three days, when Judith was cleaning his kennel, Torino rubbed his head against her hand and started purring. He became very loving and was adopted quickly after his recovery was complete.

Both of these cats defied the odds and will make great pets for their lucky adopters. Sometimes they just need to be given a chance. Torino is doing great in his new home and sweet Greg is still waiting to be adopted.

— By Dr. Lisa Levy, Aiken County Animal Shelter Veterinarian

2020, Cats, FIV positive felines, FOTAS, News, Shelter staff, Volunteers

Simba: Unforgettable Tabby Cries for Hugs from Shelter Staff

Posted on by Bob Gordon
20
Aug

Last year, 4,000 animals arrived at the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) and it can be overwhelming to remember them as they are adopted to new homes or reunited with their owners. But there are certain pets in need that are such loving, charming characters, they steal your heart and become etched in your mind forever.

Simba, a chubby-cheeked orange Tabby who is currently available for adoption, fits in this special category.

Simba, an FIV+ orange Tabby, loves getting attention from the Shelter staff and volunteers, and they love hugging him.

Besides being cute and charismatic, Simba acts more like a dog than a cat. He often cries when people walk through the shelter lobby, past his cat condo. Eventually, a staff member or volunteer will open his kennel door to give him some attention. After 30 seconds of getting petted, Simba puts his paws on their right shoulder and climbs into their arms. Simba has a low meow that sounds like a grunt and when he’s happy, he purrs and meows repeatedly. Then his eyes become half-closed and he gently bumps his face into their chin to show his appreciation.

Most everyone is a bit affected by COVID-19 anxiety these days, and the shelter staff is no exception. So throughout the day, employees stop by Simba’s cat condo to say hello or pick him up for a warm hug. A quick cuddle with fluffy, 10-pound Simba is a real stress reducer.

Super Simba arrived at the shelter about three weeks ago. His owner surrendered the 3-year-old kitty because he didn’t get along with her other cats. Simba doesn’t like to share his humans.

After the medical staff treated, examined and tested Simba, they discovered he has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or FIV. FIV infection is transmitted primarily by deep bite wounds. It is not transmitted sexually or through casual contact with another cat.

Simba will be missed and remembered by the staff and volunteers long after he’s adopted.

Infected cats like Simba can live a completely normal and long life. However, there’s a chance he may at some point succumb to the feline virus, which attacks the immune system and allows him to become vulnerable to other infections. Also, FIV positive cats should be kept indoors to prevent them from being exposed to other diseases. Simba will be a perfect indoor-only cat since he loves the luxuries of life and being with his humans.

Simba is a special cat. He’s one of those rare homeless pets that we will miss and remember long after he’s adopted. But he desperately needs a loving home where he can be the only cat and start living life away from the shelter. He needs a family of his own.

If you would like to adopt Simba, please make an appointment to see him by calling the ACAS at (803) 642-1537, option #5, or email to info@fotasaiken.com.

In the meantime, the volunteers and staff will take turns giving him hugs.

Their lives are in our hands.


— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2018, Adoption, Cats, essay, FIV positive felines, kittens, News

Feline FIV is a Virus, Not a Death Sentence

Posted on by Angel Hartline
20
Aug

Each day as I finish my rounds at the shelter, I leave a list of things to be done for our team of veterinary assistants (three of the hardest workers on the planet!) that includes testing our newest cat residents for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).  When I come in the next morning, my heart would sink if they told me that anyone tested positive for either disease.  This had always meant euthanasia since these cats were considered unadoptable.  But over the last several years, that opinion has changed.

Becky was the first FIV positive kitten adopted under the Shelter’s new FIV adoption program.

FIV infection is transmitted primarily by bite wounds.  It is not transmitted sexually or through casual contact.  Infected cats may live a completely normal and long life. Or they may at some point succumb to the virus, which attacks the immune system and allows the cat to become vulnerable to other infections such as respiratory, mouth, bladder, skin, and eye infections.  Once the cat develops recurring infections, the disease is inevitably fatal. What allows some cats to live with the virus and develop no symptoms and some cats to become ill is unknown and therefore unpredictable.

Kittens may test positive if born to an FIV positive mother but that is most likely due to transfer of antibodies and most of these kittens will test negative within six months.  True FIV infections in kittens are possible but not common.  Because of this, the Aiken County Animal Shelter has decided to adopt out FIV positive kittens.  We will retest these kittens in six months at no charge.  The adopter must understand that we can in no way guarantee these kittens will test negative, although statistics show that most kittens will become negative.

In the case of adult cats, things are a little trickier.  We have no way to predict the outcome for these cats.  We recently adopted out our first two FIV positive cats, Rowan and Martin.  They were adopted by someone who already has an FIV positive cat, so they posed no threat to spread the virus – an ideal placement.  Any home with no other cats would also be a great option.

Adoptable FIV positive kittens are now available at the County Shelter for just $10 each, including (left to right): Becky, Analeese and Tillie.

We are often asked if this infection is contagious to people or dogs, and the simple answer is no.  But if any member of the family is immunocompromised or on immunosuppressant drugs, to be safe we don’t recommend exposure to these cats.

All FIV positive cats should be kept indoors to prevent the cat from being exposed to other diseases.  They should also be kept inside to prevent the possibility of exposing other neighborhood cats to the infection through “cat fights” as we know cats are fiercely territorial.

I know that we are asking a lot of someone to adopt a cat that may have a shorter than normal life span.  But the way I look at it is that God made the majority of “pet species” with shorter life spans than ours.  So, we will inevitably experience the heartbreak when we lose them after 10-15 years.  These cats develop FIV through no fault of their own, but just by acting in the true nature of a cat.  Does this mean they shouldn’t experience a loving home for the time they do have on this earth? 

We always end this column with the words, “Their lives are in our hands,” and never has this been more true.  If you are selfless enough to consider adopting one of these cats, please let us know so we can contact you the next time we see that dreaded positive result on a test.

— By Dr. Lisa Levy, Aiken County Animal Shelter Veterinarian