Feline FIV is considered one of the most dangerous diseases. In addition to all the concern when rescuing or adopting a kitten, there is another issue that needs to be taken care of: easy transmission. There are tests that detect the pathology, and it is necessary to perform them before taking a new cat home - especially if you have other cats. The cat with FIV may end up transmitting the disease to othersThis is why many people feel insecure when they receive the diagnosis of a positive feline in the middle of a litter.

But can the cat with FIV live with other cats peacefully, or is this totally contraindicated? If you have ever experienced a similar situation or are simply curious about what to do at such times, see below how to conduct everything in the best possible way - both for the cat with FIV and for the healthy kittens.

What is FIV in cats and how does the disease manifest itself?

To better understand what FIV is about and how to recognize a cat with FIV, we talked to veterinarian Igor Borba, from Belo Horizonte. He explains: "FIV disease or feline immunity virus - as many know it - is a disease caused by an RNA virus of the Retroviridae family, which is very similar to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)." Contamination already occursmainly through scratching - when the cat fights with another infected feline - but it can also happen transplacentally and perinatally from infected cats to their kittens.

"When the animal becomes infected and viral dissemination occurs throughout the body, the first symptom is a low fever associated with changes in laboratory tests such as neutropenia (serious reduction of neutrophil cells) and generalized lymphadenopathy (condition of increased lymph node volume). After these first changes the animal enters a latent period, where no changes occurThis period can vary depending on the viral subtype, the cat's immunity and also the age of the feline. That is, an animal can stay from 3 to 10 years without showing signs of FIV ", informs Igor.

After the latent period, the cat with FIV begins to show the first clinical signs. They may arise from viral presence such as chronic diarrhea, anemia, ophthalmic changes (such as uveitis), renal changes (such as renal failure) and neurological changes. Animals may also start to hide a lot, stop grooming (licking), have dementia and other changes such asLow immunity can also cause loss of appetite, weight loss and prostration.

Can cats with FIV live with other healthy cats?

According to the veterinarian, it is not exactly advisable for a cat with FIV to live with negative cats because there are no ways to immunize against the disease. The feline fivefold vaccine exists and protects against FELV, but not against FIV. However, there are some ways to establish a harmonious coexistence between positive and negative animals - that is, a cat with FIV can be immunized against FELV.live with other cats, provided that the guardian is responsible for a series of care.

"The first step before introducing a new cat into a home with other cats is to test the animal against FIV and FELV diseases. This test can be negative in the first 30 to 60 days after infection, so the most advisable thing is to keep the new animal in isolation for that time and then do the test ", advises Igor. If the cat is diagnosed with FIV disease, the veterinarianexplains that the following precautions need to be taken:

• Always keep food and water bowls very clean, washing them with hot water and detergent, as well as the animal's litter box.

• There must be no competition between the animals for food or litter boxes, so these utensils should ideally be arranged in greater numbers than the number of cats in the household to avoid fights.

• Ideally, a cat with FIV should not leave the house (this also applies to negative cats). Contact with the street and other animals is very dangerous for feline health.

If you have two kittens at home, the ideal is to have at least three litter boxes for cats (one more than the number of residents). The same goes for other objects that they share, as the goal is to avoid any conflict. "We must remember that the most common form of transmission of FIV disease is by scratching at the time of fights," he warns.

Cat neutering helps inhibit aggressive behavior in felines

A great ally to reduce the risks of contagion is the cat castration - FIV, although not a disease that can be totally prevented, is less likely to affect neutered animals. The explanation for this, according to the specialist, is as follows: "After castration the animal becomes less aggressive and reduces the interest of walking around the neighborhood, running away from home, getting involved in disputes forterritory and fighting over mating." In other words, the feline's less aggressive behavior is what helps minimize the spread of FIV disease, since the kitten will not get into as many fights as a feline that is not neutered.

"Still, it is worth remembering that if the guardian already has the information that the cat is FIV positive, he must prevent the animal from having contact with other cats so that there is no transmission of the disease", highlights Igor.

Cat with FIV: how often do I need to be tested?

To find out if you have an FIV-positive cat, it is important to test it before exposing the feline to the other animals living in the house. As the contamination can last from 60 to 90 days, it is ideal to take advantage of this time interval to perform all the tests indicated after the pet has been exposed to the virus. In the case of an FIV-positive cat that lives with other negative cats, this testing must"If the negative animal lives with another positive animal and there is a chance of contamination, the test can be done every 3 months if necessary."

Cats with FIV can live with other cats as long as the owner follows a series of precautions.

Have you ever thought if a litter has several healthy kittens and one cat with FIV? Unfortunately it is something that can happen, and it was exactly the case of tutor Gabriela Lopes, from Brasilia. She rescued some kittens and found out that Oliver was positive, while the siblings of the same litter (Nelson, Amelia, Chris and Bururinha) were negative, as well as the younger brothers, Jamal and Shaniqua. When he learned that he was positive, he found out that he was negative.Gabriela says: "My first reactions were to do a lot of research (because it was not a subject I understood deeply), ask a lot of questions to veterinarians, find out about the experiences of other mothers of cats who went through the same situation as me and start drug treatment immediately".

As getting rid of her kitten was not an option, the guardian soon went after medical guidelines so that Oliver could live with his brothers in a healthy way. "The veterinarian always made it very clear that they could all live together, yes, we just had to keep the care always", says Gabi. The main care passed on to the guardian were:

• Start an immune-boosting medication as soon as possible - this should be taken for life.
• Neuter all cats (in this case, all were already neutered)
• Carry out periodic tests on Oliver to find out how his immunity is and do not let him have access to the street or contact with unknown cats.
• Avoiding more "aggressive" play with siblings
• Trimming cats' nails regularly
• Worm all animals in the household every 3 months
• Always medicate against fleas and ticks
• Keeping your cat's vaccinations up to date
• Maintain proper hygiene in the house and litter boxes
• Maintaining a healthy diet with quality food Avoiding situations that may stress the cat with FIV

Regarding the issue of adapting an FIV positive cat with other negative ones, it will depend a lot on each animal. In Oliver's case, the guardian points out: "He has always been a very calm and friendly cat, he has never been a fighting cat. All my cats were neutered very early, so they never had a territorial instinct of wanting to fight with male cats and cross with females, which made it easier for them to fight with other cats.Our care has tripled, but the coexistence between them has never been a problem, it has always been very peaceful."