Cat - Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Infection

Has my cat got feline AIDS?

Being FIV positive is not the same as having feline AIDS. AIDS describes the terminal stages of disease which may not occur for many years. FIV positive means that your cat has been infected by the virus.

Are my family at risk?

NO, although HIV in man belongs to a similar group there is no risk of infection of humans with FIV.

Are other cats in the household likely to be infected?

Other cats in your household may already be infected. Generally, however, spread between cats through friendly social contact is very poor so the majority of your cats may well be FIV negative.

Are other cats in the household at risk?

The risk to other cats in the household is low unless the cat that is infected is a fighter. The virus does not survive long in the environment so disinfection is not of great value. It is advisable that the positive cat is fed from a separate food bowl as saliva can have large amounts of virus in it.

How do cats get FIV?

FIV is transmitted primarily by biting, cats which are known fighters particularly those with a history of cat bite abscesses have a higher risk of being FIV positive. Normal social interactions such as grooming, have a very low risk of transmitting FIV. Kittens can also be infected from an infected queen, either transplacentally or via the queen's milk. However, this method of transmission is also much less common, so it should not be assumed that kittens born to a FIV positive queen are infected.

How is FIV diagnosed?

FIV is diagnosed on a blood test by looking for an immune response (antibodies) to the virus. If this test is positive it is likely that your cat is infected by the virus but your vet may confirm this with a further test. False positive and negative results do occur for a variety of reasons e.g. antibodies to the virus present in the bloodstream of an infected queen will pass via the milk into her kittens giving positive test results in the kittens which may not be infected. Kittens under 6 months of age that test positive should therefore be retested when they are older.

Will my cat recover?

Once a cat is infected with the virus it will remain infected for the rest of its life, however it may remain otherwise healthy for many years.

What type of disease does FIV cause?

FIV causes disease because it destroys the cat's immune system so it becomes unable to respond to other infections in the normal way. This means that cats with many types of disease can be FIV positive, such cats are characterised by chronic or recurrent infections that fail to respond to treatment in the normal way. Common clinical signs of FIV infection include:-

1. Gingivitis/stomatitis (inflammation of the gums/mouth)
2. Weight loss
3. Poor appetite
4. Fever
5. Inflammation of the membrane around the eyes (conjunctivitis)
6. Swollen lymph glands
7. Vomiting and diarrhoea
8. Anaemia
9. Respiratory tract infections
10. Skin infections

A lot of these signs are very non-specific and many diseases can have a similar clinical picture.

Is there any treatment?

Secondary infections can be effectively treated with antibiotics etc. but no specific treatment for the virus is available. Some cats have been treated with human anti-HIV drugs such as AZT with limited success. Sometimes a drug called Interferon may be suggested by your vet. Evening primrose oil may be helpful particularly in the early stages following infection.

Should I have my cat euthanased?

Generally this is not necessary until the late stages of disease. Like HIV, cats with FIV have a long period where they appear healthy and show no clinical signs. This period can last for many years during which your cat can have a normal, happy life.

How can I help my cat?

You can help your cat by ensuring it has a healthy life style and good quality food (avoid feeding any raw meat) together with regular worming, flea treatment and yearly booster vaccination. Any infections should be treated promptly and aggressively. The healthier a cat is the longer the asymptomatic (no signs of disease) period tends to be. It is strongly advisable to keep your cat indoors as this reduces the likelihood of your cat picking up infections from other cats, prevents hunting (which prevents picking up infections from rodents) as well as reducing the risk of spreading the virus from your cat to other cats.

How do you stop cats becoming infected?

As most cats become infected from bite wounds during fighting, the risk of infection can be minimised by making sure your cat is neutered and, where possible, kept indoors so it does not come into contact with other cats. If this is not possible, it should at least be kept in at night as this is the most common time for cat fights.

One cat in my household is FIV positive and the others are not, what should I do?

There are two options:-

1. Rehome the FIV positive cat to a house with no other cats.
2. As the risk of infection spreading to your other cats by social contact is low, many people choose to keep the FIV positive cat. In this case, the positive cat should have a separate feeding bowl from the other cats and food should not be left down for all cats to share. As long as there is not a lot of fighting between the cats then the risk of spreading the infection is low. No new cats should be introduced to the household since this could lead to an increase in fighting.