Posted on 09/26/2016 6:26:30 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco
I recently lost my cat and have been thinking of getting another one. My niece, who is a vet, works with a cat rescue group that has a one year old female kitty with feline leukemia that they have been trying to find a home for and are even willing to waive the adoption fee in order to place her.
So my question is directed to anyone here who has ever had a cat with feline leukemia. How long did your cat live with the disease, how was its quality of life, did you have to administer medication on a regular basis, and what kind of vet medical expenses did you incur on behalf of your cat?
Could you help with your kitty ping list?
If you don’t who will? I say go for it and love and be prepared to let go. You will likely give the cat some quality years!
“If you don’t who will? I say go for it and love and be prepared to let go. You will likely give the cat some quality years!”
Agree!
Absolutely not.
Sure, adopt the kitty then prepare to have your heart broken.
Why not? The cat is young and could get better with love.
I had two cats that were diagnosed with Feline Leukemia, which back then was also known as Feline AIDS. They were two years old at diagnosis, and they lived until they were 17-18 years old.
I have not yet had a pet who did not break my heart and make it stronger to love again.
I love animals, and I know nothing about feline illnesses. But sometimes doing the right thing is the most humane. My cat had kidney failure, and the vet said it could of lived on dialysis, but what kind of life is that for a cat? Would your cat be in pain, or need meds that would make it not really a cat? I don’t know, but those things do need to be considered.
I took stray from my brother and sister in law, Blondie was diagnosed with FIL. 2 months and almost a thousand dollars the vet put her down because she got a viral infection that moved into her brain. I state this not to tell you “don’t do it”, but rather to prepare you for a potential. Some survive for years, others...
One serious caution, feline leukemia is very contagious. We had to disinfect or home and the vet visits are very controlled.
Feline Leukemia is a death sentence for cats. If someone is allowing them to be adopted, they should be beaten.
There is no more fatal decease(sp unsure) than this for cats and they suffer horribly!
If this is an only cat, that’s one thing. You can’t bring a cat with leukemia home to one that has cat(s) that are healthy. Several of my cats contracted leukemia as outdoor pets from strays and they did not live long afterwards. Three that contracted it as kittens (or may have been born with it), one lived only to about 6 months, another about a year and a half (and she went blind) and the last one just short of two. Some cats can live longer with it than others, it just depends on the symptoms. The one that made it the longest for me didn’t present serious symptoms until the last month or so of its life, and he suffered from respiratory failure.
Ultimately, you have to be prepared for the prospect the cat could live a short time (or, it might live longer). Probably no different than adopting a senior cat.
Absolutely not. I had a kitten arrive at my house. Brought out the fancy feast and wouldn’t eat it. It looked starved and had matted eyes. I had called the vets to work on its ailment but had first called the animal shelter to pick up the cat but no answer. As it turned out (thankfully) they arrived before I had made the trip to vets and later called to say that they had to put it down because of feline leukemia. I am thankful my other cats (indoor/outdoor) had not made the scene. They were in the house.
It’s not wrong for them to be adopted, so long as a person is prepared for the challenges. Euthanizing them out of hand isn’t right, either, especially if they can live for several years presenting few to no symptoms. Mine did not “suffer horribly” until the very end.
No
Yes even it’s only 3 months or 12 years give him/her a good life. But be prepared for vet bills, and his/her departure. And adopt only if you have no other cats and promise to keep the cat in the house, feline leukemia is contagious among cats only.
I would think that since your niece is a vet, she would be the best source of answers for you.
We had a cat that needed two injections of insulin a day for 14 years.
A fine friend and a most missed member of the family.
Best of luck with your decision.
We dearly loved our f l cat and he was great fun playing too. I don’t know if the docs have found a cure yet?
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