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| Introduction | |
| Who Is A Feral Cat? | |
| What is TNR? | |
| Dispelling The Myths | |
| Frequently Asked Questions | |
| What You Can Do | |
| Ginger's Story: Living With FIV | |
| Bangor's Story: FeLV Survivor | |
| Download Free Information | |
| Links | |
| What People Are Saying | |
 Ralph was rescued by The Peaceful Kingdom Alliance 4 Animals and is sponsored by Sue in memory of Ginger. | |
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Feral Cat Network does not recommend mandatory testing as part of TNR. |
Ginger's Story: Living With FIV |  |
| Feral Cat Network does not recommend testing (FIV or FeLV) for feral cats who will remain in managed colonies. Please click here for more information on this topic. |
GINGER'S BACKGROUND
For many years, Ginger was "King Tom" of a large,
unmanaged feral cat colony. When TNR began for his colony, Ginger was tested for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) because he showed serious signs of illness and needed medical treatment.
LIVING WITH FIVWhen Ginger was first found, he had an untreated
gum infection that caused almost all of his teeth to fall out. He
was also extremely thin and dehydrated. Proper nutrition and good
care have caused his health and quality of life to improve
dramatically. Ginger is given supplements in his food and fed a
high-quality diet void of by-products, artificial coloring or
flavoring, and chemicals. The supplement Ginger receives is
Nu-Pet Feline Antioxidant (made by Ark
Naturals). There are many good recipes and helpful advice in a
book titled "The New Natural Cat" by Anitra Frazier. |
 When Ginger was rescued ...  ... and this is Ginger now!  |
THE TRUTH ABOUT FIV
* A person who handles an FIV+ cat WILL NOT catch AIDS from the cat. FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) is not the same as HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). FIV cannot be passed to humans or any other species.* FIV & FeLV (Feline Leukemia) are unrelated.
* FIV is not passed to other cats through casual contact. In general, FIV transmission occurs through bite wounds. Ginger belonged to a colony of approximately one hundred cats. Only two cats in the colony tested positive for FIV.
* FIV is not airborne.
* Unaltered males (toms) who are allowed to roam freely are at serious risk, as they tend to get involved in fights.
* You do not have to disinfect your hands or clothing if you touch an FIV+ cat.
* A positive test result is not a death sentence; FIV+ cats can live long, happy lives. According to the findings of Addie, Jarrett et al. (Veterinary Record 2000, 146, 419-424) "since FIV positive cats live at least as long as their uninfected counterparts, a test and euthanasia policy to eradicate FIV from households cannot be justified."
* FIV+ cats may suffer from a variety of medical complaints often affecting the mouth, gums, bowels, respiratory system, and urinary tract. They are also prone to seemingly unexplained attacks of fever and weight loss. Symptoms may be delayed for years in cats who test positive.
* Cats with FIV can get secondary bacterial diseases. These diseases can be treated with antibiotics.
* Some immune stimulant drugs (e.g. Interferon) are available to help boost the cat's immune system but it will not get rid of the virus.
* A cat can test "False-Positive" for FIV. Because of this, many cats who were never infected in the first place, or would never have become ill, have unfortunately been killed.
* False-positives do occur for a variety of reasons. For example, antibodies to the virus present in the bloodstream of an infected mother cat can pass via the milk into an uninfected kitten giving a false positive test result. Kittens under four months of age who test positive should therefore be retested when they are six months old.
* Cats should be tested a minimum of 60 days following possible exposure to FIV.
* According to Feral Cat Activist, a publication of Alley Cat Allies, only about ten percent of cats who are infected with FIV actually come down with the virus.
* To date, there is no cure for this virus.
The above information was compiled with the assistance of a veterinarian.
"It was learning Ginger's history and that he had 16 years that convinced the person who adopted our Bubba yesterday. Bubba is a big, handsome boy whose time was up at the pound. Someone fell in love with him right away, and I said I just needed to do the routine testing. He came up FIV positive. When I told the potential adopter, I had to say that in the past we had no history with the positive cats because they were killed! Now, enlightened people realize that they can have a long, healthy life. She was amazed to hear Ginger was 16 and it gave her the confidence to go ahead and give it a try." ~From Marie, Volunteer Animal Rescuer from New Jersey, 12/10/04. Good luck, Bubba!