Conference misery::feline_v1

    
    Oh, I forgot.  If someone will take him, I will get his first series
    of vaccinations and make sure he is free of worms.  And, you have to 
    guarenty that he will be vaccinated against feline leukemia.  I will 
    have the initial test done for leukemia but the vaccinations are
    done over a period of three months and I only have three weeks left
    here.
    
    Also, as long as it is in the area, I will take him to your vet
    if you prefer.  PLEASE give this little guy a home!
    
    Sarah

    An ORANGE MALE.... he's got to be great!!!
    
    I cannot have any new cats in my house as one of my
    cats has Felv (remission stage luckily) but I for one think
    orange, males (neutered) are generally lovable little guys.
    Maybe it has to do with the orange gene.
    
    Hope this guy gets a new home soon, --- lucky people -
    whoever adopts him. (I have 2 orange males- both REAL nice cats). 
                             

    
    Thanks for your vote of confidence on my cat.  I'm sorry to hear
    about your little guy.  Maybe he'll never have it in it's active
    form.  Just for info. sake, was your cat vaccinated?  I have my
    cats done, but I still worry about them contracting it.  I'm not
    sure what the statistics are on it.  Are your other cats carrying
    it?  If not, how do you keep them separated?
    
    Sarah                                                        

    Well, it may sound worse than it really is at my house. Francis
    apparently had the disease when he came to my home and the
    others were exposed to him early on (I have 6 in all, #7 died last month
    -  But NOT from FeLV - we tested prior to euthanizing him. Houdini
    was still negative). 
    
    They all get their FeLV booster shot yearly and are not separated 
    from Francis anymore. Trying to keep Francis apart from the others was 
    impossible so for the last 1-1/2 years they run, play, sleep together. 
    However, knowing that the disease is present, I will not bring a
    new cat into the household, and my cats are never allowed outside
    (they are all physically handicapped anyway and could not go outside
    on any condition even before Francis came to live at my house).
    
    I don't get them re-checked each year, I just give them
    the shots (if I got 5 re-tested annually and then gave them
    the booster - in addition to other needed shots - I'd go broke so
    I dispense of the re-checks). 
    I know of several homes where a + and a - lived together and the
    healthy cat did not get the disease. So I think positively and I 
    try not to worry anymore.
                              
    Pat
    
    

    One of my cats, Jesse James, is a positive cat and is living with
    my mom and her 17 year old negative cat.  The other cat has been
    givin the shots and both cats are tested twice a year.  Jesse still
    tests positive, and Moma Kitty still tests negative after a year
    and a half of living together.
    
    Since both cats are 17 plus years old and enjoy each others company
    very much, we decided that it was less stressful for them to be
    together and happy for their final years.
    
    Jo

    
    Well, the last couple of notes do make me feel better about it.
    I'm happy to hear that your healthy cats don't seem to be contracting
    the disease.
    
    Sarah

    My Portia has tested postive, though she is in remission now.  We
    had both Portia and Oscar for close to six months before Portia
    was diagnosed - six months where Portia was very sick with the
    leukemia.  After she was diagnosed, my vet and I discussed the options
    concerning Oscar.  Due to the fact that Oscar has never showed a
    sympton of being sick, and had lived with Portia so long, we didn't
    bother to test him, nor do we imunize either cat.  Philosophy being
    - if Oscar didn't have the disease yet, he has to be immune.  Besides,
    Oscar gets really stressed out over injections.
    
    We keep a careful eye on both cats - in fact everyone gets the iron
    supplements that the vet prescribes, only because I dump it in the
    food.
    
    	-Nancy

    Thanks so much for all the good inputs - I guess there are lots
    of people out there who maintain the same philosophy regarding
    cats who test positive living in multiple cat households. It's 
    good to hear from you all.
    
    However, we should get back to the base note and get this little
    orange guy a home before his current people move to England. Let's
    see what can be done for him - he sounds like he'd be a super
    companion for someone.
    
    Thanks again,
    Pat
    
                                                            
    

    did this young fellow find a home?
    Pat