House of Dreams is able to shelter both FeLV negative and FeLV positive kitties. FeLV is most commonly transmitted via nose-to-nose contact, mutual grooming, and shared food and water bowls.Volunteers take precautionary measures, such as keeping the FeLV cats in their separate living quarters. The rooms are routinely wiped down with detergent and disinfectant and volunteers are very careful about maintaining separate food and water dishes, litter pans and brushes.
To protect your cats from being infected by FeLV, you can prevent exposure to a FeLV-infected cat by housing your healthy cats separately from infected cats. They should not share bowls or litter boxes. There is a vaccine to help prevent against FeLV, although it is not 100% effective.
If one of your cats tests positive for FeLV, test all cats in the household every 90 days until the uninfected cats have two consecutive negative results. Vaccinate all uninfected cats.
Feline Leukemia can adversely affect a cat in a variety of ways. It may cause degenerative diseases, blood disorders, cancerous diseases and suppression of the immune system, leaving a cat vulnerable for secondary illnesses. In the early stages of the FeLV infection, cats commonly exhibit no sign of illness. Over time, the cat's health may deteriorate or it may acquire other illnesses.
If your cat is FeLV positive, you should keep your cat indoors. This will reduce your cat's exposure to secondary illnesses and infections. Maintain good nutrition for your cat, reduce his/her stress, control parasites and provide early and aggressive treatment of any symptoms that appear. Prompt and effective care and management of any secondary infection that occurs in your cat is essential! You should closely monitor the health of your cat, notifying your vet of any changes and plan on wellness exams twice a year. And of course, every cat needs some love and play time!
