Feline Aids
(not transmissable to humans)

Feline Immunedeficiency Virus (FIV) is thought to have emerged early 1970s in Australia.

What is Feline Aids?
It is a viral disease that interferes with the immune system of a cat but it can be vaccinated against. (Please consult your veterinarian)

FIV attacks the cats immune system by living in and circulating in the cats’ blood, travelling around the cats body causing fluctuating illness. Eventually the immune system of the cat becomes too weak to fight off infections and diseases.

The cat will have many health problems in succession until the body is just too weak to continue fighting infections and the cat will eventually die from these subsequent infections.

How can a cat get this disease?

They contract this viral infection when they are bitten by a FIV infected cat. Once bitten the virus is spread in high levels through the infected cats saliva.

A blood test can confirm if your cat is FIV positive.

Other than this it is difficult to know if your cat has this disease as they can remain healthy for a number of years.

Some cats may not show any symptoms and others can display symptoms such as:

• high temperatures
• lethargy
• diarrhoea
• loss of appetite
• loss of weight
• swollen lymph nodes
• chronic inflammation of the gums
• inflammation of the upper respiratory tract

As the disease progresses you may see symptoms such as:

• sores in and around the mouth
• eye lesions
• chronic infections
• poor coat

Outdoor cats are at the highest risk of this disease, especially male cats that have not been desexed. If your cat has FIV there is no cure.

Veterinarians can only treat the symptoms of the infections to make the cats life more comfortable.