I work for a local animal rescue organisation that has a high intake
of stray cats. Over the last 11 months at this centre we have had approximately
eight cats enter our care that have tested positive for Feline Immunodeficiency
Virus (FIV). Now considering that we have helped rehome over 250 cats since we
opened in October 2016, eight of these animals testing positive for FIV really
does not seem like a lot. On the other hand, each one of these animals find
themselves in the unnecessarily tricky position of being undesirable to
potential adopters, which means their average stay in our care is much longer
than those without the infection.
FIV has a similar effect on the cat host that HIV has on the human
host, primarily through progressively reducing the number of circulating CD4 T
cells which permanently compromises the immune system (Willet et al., 1997). The progression of the
infection also follows a similar path to HIV with an acute, asymptomatic, Latent
phase which often presents with minimal clinical symptoms (Elder et al., 2010). This stage can last from
several months to several years (Elder et
al., 2010) and it is likely that most FIV positive cats that are available
for adoption will be experiencing this Latent phase. Those that enter rescue in
the terminal phase are unlikely to be put up for adoption as by this stage their
health and welfare will be greatly compromised in the rescue environment.
Each cat will have a varied response to the FIV infection, in the
same way that humans have varied responses to HIV infection, with some cats
more susceptible to difficulties such as oral lesions, diarrhoea or dehydration
etc. (Elder et al., 2010). Whether a
cat presents with clinical symptoms, and when these symptoms occur, will be
determined by the strain of FIV infecting the cat (Elder et al., 2010; ICatCare, 2017), the cat’s genetics (Elder et al., 2010), the cat’s individual immune
response as well as the cat’s contact with other infectious agents (ICatCare,
2017). With this in mind it is important that people entering a rehoming centre
with the intention to adopt a cat should not be put off by the knowledge that a
cat has been diagnosed as FIV positive. In the same way that judgements of a
cat’s personality and needs should not be made based on colour alone, potential
adopters should not tarnish all cats with FIV by the same brush either.
The cats that have been in our care over the last 11 months that
have been infected with FIV have had completely different personalities and
needs from a home. Take our currently available black and white boy Sir Hiss for
example, compared to our fully white boy Zulu (who has been adopted). Sir Hiss is
a sweet but nervous boy that struggles with human interaction. He is non-aggressive
but he will hiss prior to and post human contact, whilst appearing to enjoy the
physical touch as he is receiving it. Zulu however was always confident and
sociable from the moment he entered our care. Both require an indoor only home
as the only cat (unless the adopter already owns an FIV cat) with an owner that
keeps on top of any signs of infection or illness, however apart from that
these boys are completely different. One is easy, the other is a little bit
more complicated, and both will make fantastic pets in the right home. 
People seem to find FIV so concerning and off putting because the
name, and symptoms, remind them of the highly stigmatised human infection that
is HIV. It is hard for people to separate the two infections in their minds and
to put aside the emotional response that may be triggered by the name FIV.
Either way people should try to not make judgements based upon a virus or
disease, infecting animal or human, as the personality of these individuals
remains the same. The management of a cat with FIV may be slightly different
from a cat without, primarily with the need to keep them indoors, but every
other aspect of cat ownership is the same.
So when you next visit a rescue organisation looking to add a fabulous
feline to your family, why not consider the FIV positive cat that will have
been brushed aside and overlooked simply because of its condition.
References:
Elder, J.H., Lin, Y., Fink, E., Grant, C.K (2010) Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) as a Model for Study of Lentivirus Infections:
Parallels with HIV. Curr HIV Res.
8(1): 73-80. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2853889/
International Cat Care (ICatCare), (2017) Feline immunodeficiency
virus (FIV) International Cat Care.
Available Online at: https://icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/feline-immunodeficiency-virus-fiv
Willet, B.J., Flynn, J.N., Hosie, M.J. (1997) FIV infection of the
domestic cat: an animal model for AIDS. Immunology
Today. 18(4): 182-189.
