This is a quicker post but I just wanted to share. Special needs cats such as feline leukemia, or FeLV, positive cats often get passed up on and overlooked when it comes to rescues.

There's also a lot of fear around it. I was in the process of setting up a meet and greet for a cat when my current boy came into my life. He was dropped off at my work and this poor baby was so sick. We shared workspace with a vet so they were treating him while I was working. When I finished my shift I was driving home with my boy, fully expecting him to not make it but wanting him to be safe in a warm home for as many hours or days he had in him.

I got a call from the rescue about setting a date to view the cat I was interested in and I told her I was so sorry but I'm not longer looking for a cat because I just rescued a sick boy who needed my help. When I told her he was FeLV+ she lost her mind. She was telling me to not let that cat into my house, that everything I owned was going to be contaminated, that I wouldn't be able to adopt a cat from them in the future.

I was ?? because I had never had any experience with FeLV so I was freaked out by that reaction but told her there was no way I was going to just leave this poor sick baby to waste away.

Yeah so fast forward on that. 2.5 years later my boy is thriving. No, my house is not a biohazard. Yes, feline leukemia is highly contagious between cats. Mostly through saliva, and the virus cannot exist long without a host. So if you go to someone's house and pet their cat and then 5 hours later you come home and pet your cat, you're not going to infect them. She made it seem like by me owning this cat, then after he's gone I'll never be able to let another cat into my home because they'll instantly get the virus.

Which is crazy that there is so much stigma and misunderstanding and fear about the virus. Yes, cats who are FeLV+
+ do have a shorter lifespan.
+ do get sick more frequently and it is harder for them to get over sickness.
+ can easily infect other cats through saliva matters such as grooming, sharing fold and water bowls, bites etc.
+ they can get extremely sick very quickly especially at the end. you really don't know how much time you have with them.

However they can also
+ have insane zoomies and scale cat towers and jump and flip thru the air playing after toys
+ curl up with you and spend the day/night on your bed or the couch with you
+ come running to you and headmash you when you get home
+ do treat puzzle games
+ be a menace and knock everything off of bedside tables!
+ put themselves in places they shouldn't be and then look at YOU like you put them there!
+ lay on their stupid back with their stupid peetsies in the air!!

Every cat is different. Most adult cats only live 2-3 years after diagnosis. It can be very expensive (hi paying down a 6k hospital bill because my boy couldn't fight off a stomach infection), there's probably going to be a lot of vet visits especially for respiratory issues. It can be mentally upsetting to know you only have a few years before they get too sick. But they can also live very fulfilling lives. Alastor is 9! years old. We've had him for over 2 years already. We keep up on preventative care and when he seems like he's not feeling well we take him in and get checked/treated. Looking at him you would never know, he's got some chronically leaky eyes but that's it. His fur is thick and glossy. He plays like crazy. We're extremely lucky that he is as healthy as he is, but he's also in a home where he's loved unconditionally and taken care of the second he seems off and he's been given the CHANCE to thrive.

So just please if you can help spread the word of mouth that no it's not sunshine and rainbows but these kitties deserve a chance. If you come across someone like I did who made it seem like I could never ever own a cat again in my whole life because I owned one FeLV+ cat, please help speak against them. These cats are sick. There is no cure. It's lifelong and it's a short life. Its financially and emotionally breaking. These are the facts. But they should have the chance to be loved and be in an environment that will help them live as long as they can.

https://mara.pics/uploads/793379/5ca31ee6bffc80187de7f65e869ff75761197d0b.jpg

https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-leukemia-virus