How to Care for a Cat with Feline Leukemia - Limiting Spread
1. Practice good hygiene. The FELV virus does not survive for long outside of the infected cat, but may be passed by hands, clothes or other objects.[9] Practice good personal hygiene and wash your hands if touching different cats, especially if you pet or handle a known FELV positive cat.
- The FELV virus does not infect people.
2. Keep your cat indoors to avoid spreading the disease or worsening its condition. FeLV is spread through blood, saliva, and excrement. Outdoor cats are at higher risk of contracting this disease, due to the increased likelihood of coming into contact with infected cats.[3]
- Cats pass the virus on to one another through mutual grooming, nose-to-nose contact and bites.[3] Sharing the same food and water bowls can also pass on the infection.[3]
3. Get your cat neutered or spayed, if you haven't already done so. This will help to prevent passing on the infection to any newborn cats or cats sought through mating.
- Make sure that the clinic you take your cat to for this operation knows that your cat has FeLV. They'll take extra care of your cat and provide the appropriate sterilization of the operating room and instruments.
4. Get your other cats tested for FeLV. If they're free of the infection, have them vaccinated. Be aware that vaccination doesn't necessarily mean that they can be with your sick cat just yet; wait a while before doing that so the vaccine takes effect; ask your vet for exact details.
- The vaccine is effective if given prior to the cat getting the disease.[4]
- All household cats should get a booster every three years.
5. Get any kittens in the household vaccinated. If you have a kitten in the same house as your sick cat, then give the kitten the first vaccine when its 12-14 weeks old. Give the second one 3-4 weeks later. As your kitten ages, it will build up a natural resistance to FeLV.
6. Do your very best to keep your non-infected cats away from your sick cat. They might not like being separated from their friends, but it's best for all of them until your cat is feeling better. And unfortunately, even with vaccination (it's not 100 percent effective), persistent contact with the infected cat may well lead to another uninfected cat getting the disease;[3] it is better to avoid this possibility.
- Bites and scratches are common routes of transmission, but even friendly interactions, such as touching faces, sharing food or water dishes and grooming one another can result in infection.[10]
- Avoid getting another cat. The less cats you have, the less chances the infection has to spread.
- The FELV virus does not infect people.
2. Keep your cat indoors to avoid spreading the disease or worsening its condition. FeLV is spread through blood, saliva, and excrement. Outdoor cats are at higher risk of contracting this disease, due to the increased likelihood of coming into contact with infected cats.[3]
- Cats pass the virus on to one another through mutual grooming, nose-to-nose contact and bites.[3] Sharing the same food and water bowls can also pass on the infection.[3]
3. Get your cat neutered or spayed, if you haven't already done so. This will help to prevent passing on the infection to any newborn cats or cats sought through mating.
- Make sure that the clinic you take your cat to for this operation knows that your cat has FeLV. They'll take extra care of your cat and provide the appropriate sterilization of the operating room and instruments.
4. Get your other cats tested for FeLV. If they're free of the infection, have them vaccinated. Be aware that vaccination doesn't necessarily mean that they can be with your sick cat just yet; wait a while before doing that so the vaccine takes effect; ask your vet for exact details.
- The vaccine is effective if given prior to the cat getting the disease.[4]
- All household cats should get a booster every three years.
5. Get any kittens in the household vaccinated. If you have a kitten in the same house as your sick cat, then give the kitten the first vaccine when its 12-14 weeks old. Give the second one 3-4 weeks later. As your kitten ages, it will build up a natural resistance to FeLV.
6. Do your very best to keep your non-infected cats away from your sick cat. They might not like being separated from their friends, but it's best for all of them until your cat is feeling better. And unfortunately, even with vaccination (it's not 100 percent effective), persistent contact with the infected cat may well lead to another uninfected cat getting the disease;[3] it is better to avoid this possibility.
- Bites and scratches are common routes of transmission, but even friendly interactions, such as touching faces, sharing food or water dishes and grooming one another can result in infection.[10]
- Avoid getting another cat. The less cats you have, the less chances the infection has to spread.
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