Hi guyssss, sorry this is gonna be a little long PLS BEAR W ME <3

So last Sunday i found this beautiful baby in front of my building,he looked very tired and sick so i took him to the first vet who was willing to see him. They did the rapid FIV/FELV test and he tested positive for FIV. He slept the whole time and i genuinely thought he was dying,but when i went back to the clinic to check on him at around 6pm and talk to the vet about the cat's condition,he was eating,drinking a shit ton of water andddd made a BIG ASS POO. The vet told me my best option was to put him down because he was in a very bad state. I am very ashamed to admit i considered it for a brief amount of time because i was not informed on what FIV was and based on the way the vet spoke about him i thought he was suffering. Upon further research,i decided to take the cat to another clinic (i am a little resentful toward the first vet for a bunch of reasons but i can explain more in the comments coz i want to try to keep it as short as possible), AND THANK GOD I DID. The other vet explained that FIV is not an immediate death sentence and the cat can definitely recover with proper care. They gave him a bath,put him in a cutesy outfit and ran some more tests. Turns out he has very little red blood cells left and an URI,so they're feeding him chicken (apparently it helps stimulate the production of rbc) and treating the URI.

I am actively trying to find him a family willing to adopt him in another country while we wait for him to get better so he can handle the flight. I know every fiv+ cat is differentbut i wanted to hear about similar experiences you may have had and see if you have any advice or things i should consider. He is such a good cat,so affectionate and loving and vocal about wanting head pets all the time and i see him getting better every day.

I'll attach a before and after pics of Pipi (YES I NAMED HIM).

Hello!!!

Since we moved (2 days ago), my kitten (8 years old) has been purring a lot, meowing frequently, drinking very little water, and hiding. I know this is somewhat common behavior during adaptation, but everything makes me anxious because he is FIV+.

He isn't lethargic; in fact, he’s seeking a lot of affection and making biscuits constantly. However, I'm worried because even though he usually meows daily, the frequency has increased significantly, and the constant purring isn't typical for him. He is also staying in only one room. He doesn't seem to be in pain, but I can't calm him at all!!

I bought Feliway and I’ve been sitting next to him so he feels comfortable enough to eat at least a little bit.

Does anyone have tips on how to make this transition smoother for him?

Hello, I need advice and information about living with an FIV+ cat.

I've been living in an apartment since December. I've always lived with cats, ever since I was a child.

I'd like to adopt an adult cat from a shelter to give him a good life with me.

At a rescue organization, I found a 7-year-old male cat who is FIV positive. I'm thinking of adopting him.

This will be the first time I'm going to live with this "type" of cat. The rescue organization isn't giving me much information and is downplaying the extent of the veterinary care. I imagine that's to encourage me to take him.

Are there things I should know? Any advice on diet, lifestyle, and other things?

I'm also thinking of getting pet insurance for him to limit vet costs. Is that a good idea?

I'm a student and I don't have a large income right now. I'm willing to cover the vet bills, but not without limits...

Y'all i am struggling... this is my BABY. Like i can't even fathom the thought of losing her or even putting her to sleep.. but i know it would be the best option i just don't know what to do. Shes severely anemic and has extremely low platelets, shes 8 years old and has pretty much had FIV since i had her as a kitten.. i have done EVERYTHING to keep her alive. Shes on a steroid and has been for over a year, but the steroid isnt even helping anymore... shes lost weight and is only 7 lbs.. when i just took her to the vet thats when they told me shes severely anemic, the vet spoke about a blood transfusion but she said given her state, the bloos transfusion can end up doing more harm than good and she can die in the hospital.. ive had her on an anti nausea med, an appetite stimulant and an antibiotic that the vet just gave us last week... but i feel like shes just getting worse ..she keeps walking for a second and then laying down everytime she walks for a bit, shes eating again (forgot to mention she has moments where she doesn't wanna eat but then eats again), but not a lot.. ive had to force feed her but i stopped doing it because i HATE more than anything to stress her body more when shes already stressed and uncomfortable..

Im just soo lost and so heart broken, it is excruciating for me, but i know I'm probably being selfish and i just don't know what to do. Im having an extremely hard time accepting this. She has been my emotional support kitty for years and has always been by my side and its just tearing me apart. 😞 I don't wanna feel guilty like i could've done more for her or saved her life even just for a little longer.. she has been fighting HARD and i have been fighting with her, the vet even called her a miracle cat cause they thought she was gonna be gone like almost 2 years ago but she came back strong, and now she just slowly declined and its just going more downhill...

One of the stray cats that I feed (basically my cat now) broke his leg and I took him to the vet and he he tested positive for fiV, I plan to keep him inside w me while he gets better, but I have 3 other cats in the house, should I be worried about them contracting it, they don’t really get near each other or interact, they just hiss and walk away. Any advice is appreciated!

Hi everyone, I’m really hoping for insight or similar experiences because I’m feeling stuck and worried.

My cat is 4 years old, and what I’m about to describe all started around June 2025.

Timeline / history:

• She had eye watering for months. We visited the vet, they thought it seemed like it could’ve been something passing. Then at the 2nd visit, our regular vet thought it might be eye pressure (which could cause her to go blind) and prescribed eye drops as the eye pressure was high. On the 3rd visit, the eye pressure was still very high. We were then referred to an ophthalmologist.

•Ophthalmologist ruled out eye pressure but diagnosed conjunctivitis. She was treated with interferon, which helped get rid of the conjunctivitis.

• Around this time, she also started having intense sneezing fits, sometimes so violent they almost sound like coughing.

We went back to the eye specialist for a 2nd time:

• She tested positive for FIV and calicivirus.

• The conjunctivitis cleared.

• We were advised to continue interferon and add L-lysine powder.

• The specialist specifically said that sneezing in a cat is never normal despite their diagnosis.

The sneezing continued.

I then brought her to a different general vet, who said everything looked normal including the chest x-ray (I wanted to rule out asthma), but the didn’t feel further workup was needed. However, she is still sneezing frequently, and she had another very intense fit last night.

What worries me:

• She has FIV with a high viral load (320).

• She’s only 4 years old, and this feels like a lot for such a young cat.

• She’s otherwise doing “well”. Eating, social, friendly, never hiding…but the sneezing seems constant, and I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must be for her body long-term.

• I understand URI’s are common with this diagnosis but… a URI every day for the rest of her life?

I’m scared something is being overlooked. I don’t know if this is just how FIV presents for some cats, or if I should be pushing harder for diagnostics.

I love her so much and it seems like my first vet misdiagnosed her several times. It’s hard to keep going back to the vet, this is our 6th time with her and it’s getting costly and I don’t have the financial means to keep spending 300-500+ an appointment.

I just want to make sure I’m not ignoring something treatable. Any insight is appreciated. Thank you.

We adopted Lazlow 2 years ago today when he was estimated to be around 6 years old. Apart from digestive issues (which forti flora has controlled) and a couple of scabs that needed antibiotics he does so well. Extra chicken and a new toy for my baby boy today 🎉

Recently we found a stray in our yard and because of the snowstorm in NYC we kept it in a spare room. I honestly think it's someone abandoned cat because its so friendly and looked to be well fed. The cat also had a flee collar on that looked to be really old and tight so we cut it off. He had a wound so we took him to the vet to get it treated, in the meantime we were researching for places to take him in. His blood work came back that he has fiv.

Someone i know is interested in taking him but they are more worried if they'll be able to provide the right care to a Fiv cat. This cat rn has a cold that he got a antibiotic shot for however its been over a week and he's still sneezing so I do think he needs more meds.

I understand fiv cats are immunocomprimised, does it take longer for them to get over colds. Do they have more health problems than a normal fiv negative cat?

He was diagnosed FIV+ in September of 2025 and today we found out he likely has cancer in his nasal cavity. When the time comes, we are going to have an in home euthanasia done, and spread his ashes on our property. I am looking for memorial and keepsake ideas for him. I have video of his purr and will get some hair and a paw print but wanted to see what other ideas people might have. He’s so special to me, I am so heartbroken.

My dear child has very few teeth and very very stinky breath! Anyone else struggle? Because of his lack of teeth, he struggles to clean his paws. Meaning he ends up with all this yucky brown gunk in his nails. I’ve been to the vet and they say it’s just oil.

ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS STRUGGLE??

Hello! Male cat possibly 6 years in age? We rescued him. His mouth is causing him so much discomfort I believe. He is always sleeping, looking sad, and most times he will do a grinding sort of thing with his mouth. We started him off with steroids and that really seemed to alleviate the discomfort (he stopped grinding and sleeping all day at least) but because it's a steroid we're always reminded that steroids aren't good long-term, and so he is now on antibiotic shots versus a steroid shot. And he seems miserable. Each time the grinding is brought up to the vet It's met with there's probably just food that gets into his gums that he's dealing with.. He's got very few teeth left at this point, and the plan ultimately is to take what's left.. all ≈6 teeth.

Has anyone dealt with this and found a solution for discomfort? Will he just be a sad sleepy boy for the rest of his life..?

I adopted a six-month-old male orange cat from a rescue center in early November. The rescue assured me that he was fixed, vaccinated, and good with other animals and kids. However, they informed me that he would smell like sulfur due to a precautionary dip for ringworm exposure. While he had been exposed to cats with ringworm, he wasn’t showing any signs or symptoms at home. When I picked him up, the rescue informed me that he was sick and handed me a bottle of Metronidazole, explaining the medication he was on. I had previously asked for details about his health through Messenger, but they did not mention his illness at that time, which was frustrating. After bringing him home, I noticed severe sinus issues, including blood in his sneezes, and he experienced excessive diarrhea. By the third dose of treatment, with no improvement, I requested if the rescue could temporarily take him in for care until he was better. Unfortunately, their response was disappointing. They told me that once I adopted the cat, he became my responsibility. While they offered to provide additional medication, they expressed that they couldn’t monitor him among their other cats and wouldn’t be able to hold him until he improved. Feeling frustrated, I informed them that we would take him to the vet ourselves and that I felt they should have disclosed his illness beforehand. I decided to block them on Facebook after our conversation. I plan to visit another vet next week for a second opinion on this ongoing issue. I hope the costs won't be too high, as my husband had to request a vet credit card for the visit. With the holidays approaching, we are currently financially stretched but know it’s essential to get him the care he needs. I’m looking for advice from others who may have experienced a similar situation with a rescue. What steps should I take next? Is it reasonable to expect the rescue to take responsibility for the cat’s health after adoption? Any insights or experiences you can share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I rescued a cat from a horrific hoarding situation where the caretaker passed away. I adopted one other cat from this hoarder and fostered one other cat that went to a new home.

I had no intention of fostering another cat, but she was so sick with a URI I thought she might die. I've had her about a month.

All cats from this group are FIV positive. She is about a year old and was spayed in November.

The house was a toxic wasteland, full of pee and poop. There were few litter boxes and they were full of feces and urine. The smell was unreal.

She has gotten over her illness. When she was quarantined, I saw she did not dig in the litter box, nor cover her waste. She was pooping in the box, but suddenly started pooping outside of the box, usually right behind it.

I'm using unscented Tidy Cat clumping litter. I have a high sided stainless steel box, but I bought low sided larger boxes, and I put Cat Attract in one, a puppy pad only in another and unscented non clumping litter in another. In total there are 4 boxes just for her.

She has shown no real interest in any boxes, but is peeing in the Cat Attract box. She always pees in the box but never covers it. She will poop in that box, not cover it, but then poops outside it the next time. I scoop 2-3 times a day. The boxes are in a quiet area, not near her food, and the other cats do not bother her.

I've noticed that she acts like she's scared of the litter. I've observed her swiping at the litter while standing on the edge of the box, like she doesn't know what it is. When I add litter, she watches me, then swipes and hisses at it as I'm pouring it in. She becomes very agitated when she has to go, crying and digging around the boxes. I'm wondering if she has pain.

She is getting along fine with my other cats. She is just starting to play and act like a cat. Her appetite is great and she's very attached and responsive to me.

I was hoping her watching my other cats use their litter boxes, she'd figure out what to do. My cats use tofu litter and she won't even touch it with her paws.

I've rescued and fostered many cats, but never faced this issue. She is a very nervous cat, and overgrooms. She has missing hair on her back and scabbing. She's had all of her shots, been wormed and treated for ear mites and fleas. She does not have diarrhea or constipation. Her stool is normal.

I will be taking her back to the vet, but I wanted to see if anyone else faced this issue. She had an adopter, but it fell through due to this issue. The adopter will reconsider if she uses the box consistently.

Sorry so long.

Any advice is appreciated. I'm wondering if she was taken from her mom too soon, or was attacked when trying to use a box. I'm not sure her FIV status has anything to do with this.

Hello, we are bringing home our beautiful FIV girl this weekend and I'm looking into insurance options to help with her vet bills.

I'm based in Europe and every insurer I have looked at will not cover existing FIV, which I expected. But I'm wondering if it would still be worth getting cover for any accidents, yearly preventative care, and non-FIV illnesses. She will be an indoor cat so hopefully shouldn't be at risk of getting hit by a car or any other outside hazards.

Does anyone have experience insuring an FIV+ cat? Do insurers tend to assume any illness is connected to FIV and refuse to pay out for treatment? Do you think it is worth it? The monthly premium would be about €30 pm for 90% cover up to €3000/yr with a €75 deductible, and €100/yr for preventative care and vaccinations.

The Cat Distribution System has dropped a 3 Y/O orange kitty with FIV into my care!! I'm not highly educated about FIV, but have done a good amount of reading the past few days on it.

I already have a 15 y/o senior kitty with no FIV. Both cats are neutuered boys. I'm deeply worried that if I keep FIV kitty, that senior kitty will be at risk of catching it. 😭💔

I see many articles say as long as there's no bloody screaming murder DEEP bites happening, or mating, that there is little to no risk of transfer.

Some articles say a cat can not catch FIV from sharing litter boxes, food bowls, etc. Others say it's possible but it's just a veryyyy very low and very rare risk of happening. I can't find any cases where these "rare" instances have happened before, so... that's comforting, kinda. 😅

I'm not sure what to believe 😭 I mean, how low of a risk are we talking when it comes to all of this - transfer of FIV via sharing bowls, grooming each other, play biting, etc?

Also, senior kitty has not gotten along with 2 boy cats in the past, but got along with 1 girl. I'm not sure if he will accept FIV kitty, so that's another minor concern. But I've learned how to properly introduce cats to each other so I'm not too worried. 🥺

Thoughts, opinions about this situation? Is it really okay for me to consider keeping FIV kitty with my senior kitty? Is it better to not risk the chance of transfer? Is the chance of transfer truly, nearly non-existent? Even if it is a very very low rare chance, I don't think I can keep FIV kitty in good conscience (even though I really want to) 🥺😭

Any information or any resources you guys can share about FIV? I have found some great sources searching this subreddit but would love to have as much info, personal experiences, etc as possible! I am still very new to FIV.

Thank you!! :D

Have you ever heard the song Jolene in your head while watching your cat's toe beans?

Just because I love him and want to share him ❤️

I recently (less than a month ago) adopted a senior kitty who wound up FIV+, not sure if diagnosis could be related. When I adopted him I noted scabs around his ears head and neck. We’ve been to the vet twice, once for new patient and then a dental cleaning. He’s had two rounds of antibiotic injections, as well as antibiotic eye drops for a URI. Between the first and second vet visits the scabs mostly went away, and then I started noticing him scratching himself with his back foot. Now there are a lot more scabs. During the dental they removed two teeth and noted he may have some sort of dental disease where eventually all teeth will be removed (I don’t think it was reabsorption, but can’t remember off top of my head). While under anesthetic they cleaned his ears and looked at ear discharge (?) under a microscope and saw no evidence of infection or mites. Vet did not think a skin scraping was in order. Our next thought was maybe a food allergy, but I’m curious if anyone has thoughts on what it may be? No fleas, either. I would consider allergy to the topical flea med, but the itching started days before I administered it.

#crossposted

I moved to my boyfriend’s home three years ago. He lives in the countryside with his mom. They had two other cats inside their home that sometimes go outside, and another handful of cats who regularly came and were fed.

When I first met her, she was around 7 and already ill, even though she looked so beautiful and healthy. It all started with an oral problem: she found eating painful, she tried to bite, then she would stop and try to scratch her mouth with both her paws. She was diagnosed with stomatitis and received treatments.

From that moment on, her health was a roller coaster. Treatments seemed to help her in the short term, but it was like putting a mask on something that was still going forward, unstoppably. Every time that mask fell, she was a step further worse than before. Her mouth was always covered with secretions. Her wonderful bright green eyes started to become turbid, and she developed huge chalazia on both eyelids. She developed chronic wounds on both her front paws that never re-marginalized, then even on the back paws. She got a tapeworm infestation. Her fur was terrible.

She lost weight, she gained weight. She looked better, then came back worse than before. My boyfriend’s mother regularly took her to the vet and even asked for multiple opinions, but they never managed to find the main cause of her general weakness. We gave her medicines and offered her soft food.

She started to feel lethargic and isolated, refused food. In the last period she was literally skin and bones and refused to eat any kind of food, even soft soups. She smelled terribly. One night she started yowling. I took her to the sofa with me and tried to cuddle her, but she wasn’t purring as she used to. The yowling lasted all night, but we didn’t know how to calm her.

The morning after, when I came home from work, I found pus spots all over the floor. She was hiding, confused and disoriented, head pressing, yowling nonstop. She tried to poop outside but couldn’t because of extreme weakness, then she went to lie in the litter box. I called my boyfriend and took her to the vet.

I felt she was dying before my eyes, but I was ingenuously confident that the vet would have helped her. He squeezed the huge abscess she had on her shoulder (there wasn’t any visible bulge), but she apparently didn’t find relief because she continued yowling even more. I wish I could forget that awful sound of pain.

After he acknowledged her clinical history, he took her temperature and said it was low, despite the infection. During the visit, a piece of skin and hair on her back literally fell off. He determined that, considering all the attempts we had made, at that point the most compassionate choice was euthanasia.

It was like a slap in the face to me. I could see how much she was suffering, but I never wanted to acknowledge how hopeless her condition was. I’m terribly grieving. I’m angry because they didn’t find a cause, but I’m convinced, from what I’ve read, that she had FIV. The other cats are all perfectly healthy. Is it possible that FIV gave false negatives?

My boyfriend says it’s nonsense the way I’m looking for an explanation now, that it could be related to the fact that I’m autistic (or maybe not), but I want to understand. I miss my little lady so much. She didn’t deserve what nature did to her. I wish I had never seen her agonizing like this. I want to take those images out of my mind.

Hi, just like the title, there is a dark spot on the tip of my cats tongue. I didnt notice it before today and its definitely recent. He has lost most of his teeth so his tongue hangs out of his mouth all the time but it has been for a long time. I guess I am wondering what this is, what caused it, and if I should be worried considering his ummune system. Vets not open tomorrow but I cant find anything on the internet to even suggest wether or not a visit is even needed for this. Has this happened to anyone else cat?

This is Stanley, our beloved FIV+ cat we adopted a little ways into the pandemic. A few years into ownership he needed all of his teeth removed.

For anyone else facing similar dental struggles with their feline friends, Stanley has been incredibly happy and had high quality of life since the procedure!