What is FIV?
FIV is a cat-only disease. This immunodeficiency virus is a commonly misunderstood disease that weakens the immune system, but does NOT cause cancer. It does, however, leave the cat vulnerable to a wide range of diseases which would normally be harmless to a healthy animal. Nonetheless, most infected cats will live for many years without exhibiting any symptoms of the infection.
• Many people whose cats don’t have FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), and most people who don’t have cats, have never heard of the disease. FIV is the feline version of HIV. It is a lentivirus (i.e., slow-acting virus) of the type called a retrovirus (i.e., a virus whose RNA is converted to DNA for insertion into host genomic DNA). Cats frequently spread the infection through bite wounds. For this reason, free-roaming outdoor cats–especially unneutered males, who incline to fight over territory–are at greatest risk. Since Bud was an abandoned stray when very young, this is the presumed route of his infection. FIV can also be acquired through sexual contact (either vaginally or though sexually-motivated biting) or from a mother before or after birth. It is a commonplace that mother-to-kitten transmission (“vertical transmission”) is not usual. Reputable sources, however, paint a mixed picture. According to one study, FIV is transmitted from mother to young quite readily in utero, alt
