Dewie

Dewie is a super sweet boy with a lot of love to give. His favorite hobby is to sit on your lap. He likes to be where you are. His poor guy has a rough past. Found on the streets of an unforgiving city where we think is how he contracted both FIV and Felv. He is also diabetic which he eats his prescription food like a champ. He is estimated to be a "senior" kitty. But as of now he is healthy and looking to find a home to receive love and pets for the time he has with us. Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is a virus that attacks the immune system of a cat. It isn't a form of cancer, but it is a retrovirus that affects the immune system. Cats with FeLV can live normal, happy, healthy lives, though they may have a shorter life expectancy than FeLV negative cats. Historically, cats with this disease have been euthanized as soon as they are diagnosed. Austin Pets Alive! has taken a different stance. We believe these cats are equally deserving of adoption, love, and care. Are the FeLV+ cats available for adoption sickly? No. Cats with FeLV are just as happy and healthy as other cats available for adoption. Because the virus affects the immune system, cats with FeLV can be more susceptible to illness. This makes it important to limit stress, feed a high quality diet, schedule normal veterinary exams, and address health problems as soon as they arise. You wouldn't know a cat had FeLV by just looking at her/him. Many people have FeLV+ cats in their home and don't even know it because they were never tested. Do FeLV+ cats need special medication or care? No medication or special care is needed when FeLV+ cats are healthy. If and when they do get sick, they may become sick rather quickly and will need aggressive treatment because of their compromised immune system. What is FIV? FIV is feline immunodeficiency virus. Its a virus that lives in the blood and saliva of cats. It can cause a weakened immune system, similar to HIV but much less severe. Most FIV cats live long normal healthy lives; statistically there is no difference in lifespan. Sometimes they can get gingivitis, and if they do get sick they may get sicker faster than a negative cat. So catching illnesses early in an FIV cat is important as well as taking them in for annual check ups. But lots of people own FIV+ cats and don't even know it because they never got them tested. FIV was discovered in 1986. If you owned cats prior to 1986, they may have had an FIV+ cat and you never knew it!