How Long Can cats with FIV live?

How Long Can cats with FIV live?

Cats infected with FIV may live for months or years. On average, life expectancy is 5 years from the time of diagnosis depending on how active the infection is.

How old do kittens have to be to be infected with FIV?

However, few of these kittens actually are or will become infected. To clarify their infection status, kittens younger than six months of age that test positive for FIV should be retested at 60-day intervals until they are at least six months old.

Why did my Cat test positive for FIV?

FIV vaccines also cause a vaccinated cat to produce antibodies against the FIV virus that can be difficult to distinguish from those produced by a cat in response to natural infection with FIV. Cats who have been vaccinated will test positive for FIV antibodies, so it is essential to know the vaccination history if possible.

What should I do if my cat has FIV?

This is a promising finding though cats were only followed for a 30 day period and indicates that further studies may show more substantial clinical benefit. What this all means is that oral antioxidant supplementation may be helpful in keeping FIV+ cats healthy.

How does stress affect a cat with FIV?

Minimize the amount of stress your cat feels. Stress can have physical effects on your cat because his or her immune system is already weak. When an animal is stressed, its body releases a natural steroid—cortisol—in order to help the body cope with the stress.

What happens if a mother cat has FIV?

Normal social interactions between FIV and Non-FIV cats, such as grooming, sharing food and water bowls, and community litter boxes have no known risk of transmission. If a mother cat has FIV antibodies, her kittens have a good chance of possessing them … at birth.

How long do FIV cats usually live for?

Statistically, most FIV cats * live as long as their indoor counterparts (13-18 years), and much longer, in fact, than cats that live outdoors (3-8 years). There are many reported cases where FIV+ cats live well into old age without ever showing any symptoms. Typical causes of death are geriatric.

When to spay or neuter a 5 month old kitten?

There are clear reasons why you should spay or neuter your kitten. If your 5 month old kitten is female, spaying prevents unwanted pregnancies, prevents unwanted noises when your kitten starts to “call” male cats, and avoids possible infections.

When do FIV antibodies go away in kittens?

In the case of kittens under 6-months of age, a ‘positive’ result can mean the kitten has inherited antibodies from it’s mother —not that it has—a virus. These inherited antibodies usually go away by 6 months. Meaning they never had FIV to begin with.