What are feline immune deficiency viruses?
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) belong to a family of viruses know as retroviruses. The most infamous retrovirus is HIV, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in people. The major characteristic of retroviruses is that they decrease the ability of the immune system to fight infections. Humans and dogs cannot catch FIV or FeLV or develop AIDS through exposure to FIV-positive or FeLV-positive cats. Only cats are susceptible to these diseases. How do cats get FIV or FeLV? 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 he is bitten. FIV is not spread by casual contact between cats (by sharing food and water bowls or litter pans, by airborne germs or by mutual grooming) it is unusual for cats in the same household to spread the disease to each other unless they fight. FeLV is spread through contact w
