Lila

CATsNAP rescued Lila from a trailer park at the end of February. This beautiful girl is all kitten! She likes to spend her days climbing on everything she can get her paws on, chasing other cats and playing with toys. She LOVES other cats, but is very shy around new people. Once she warms up to you, she's just perfect. She meets her foster mom at the door whenever she comes home, likes to snuggle on the couch and bite toes at 7 in the morning. Lila is FIV+ and would do best with another FIV+ cat or two for her to play with. However, she currently lives with 2 FIV- cats with no problem. Lila is an indoor only cat and is fed a high quality diet.

FIV+ status is not a death sentence for cats; they can lead long, wonderful and healthy lives just like any other cat. FIV is not transmitted to other cats by close contact, but typically through serious bite wounds. There is some more information online on at pet education and cat health.

I also found the following facts from the Best Friends' website -

FIV Facts
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. A neutered cat, in a home, is extremely unlikely to infect other cats, if properly introduced.
7. Many vets are not educated about FIV since the virus was only discovered 15 years ago.
8. FIV-positive cats should be kept as healthy as possible. Keep them indoors and free from stress, feed them a high-quality diet, keep and treat any secondary problems as soon as they arise.

CATsNAP also has 2 more friendly FIV+ cats (Bear and Fiona) in the program. Send me an email if you would like more information about these 3 cats.