How do cats get Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)?
Most cats become infected with FIV when they are bitten while fighting with an infected cat. The virus, present in the saliva of infected cats, passes beneath the skin of the victim when it is bitten. Once it is in the body, FIV infects cells, replicates, and spreads to new sites via blood vessels and lymph channels. Most FIV-positive cats have a history of cat fights and bite-wound abscesses. Considering that bites are the primary mode of transmission, it is not surprising that cats at greatest risk of FIV infection are outdoor, adult males, who are most likely to engage in aggressive fights over territory. A less common route of FIV transmission is from an infected mother cat (queen) to her kittens. Infection can occur in the uterus during pregnancy, through ingestion of virus-laden milk after birth or possibly as the kitten is delivered. Not all kittens born to FIV-positive cats become infected with the virus. The reasons for this are not well understood although it appears that sev
