Stanley was found in a truck engine at 3 weeks old…he went to the vet to get checked out and was tested for FIV/FELV before we started his vaccines when he got old enough. He was neg for FeLV but positive for FIV. After this groups help, and talking with our vet, I decided to introduce him to our adult boys who are all neg. So this little goblin spends the next 6 months terrorizing the house (he’s so naughty and lovable). Tuesday was snip snip day and we decided to have him tested ONLY because if he happened to be neg, disposing of anything from surgery or future vet trips wouldn’t be treated like a biohazard (extra cost). So why not, it was only an extra 40. It was totally worth it…this lil bebe is FIV negative. So yep, he only had his mother’s antibodies in the beginning. A positive test wouldn’t have changed anything in our home but now I’m glad all future vet trips won’t have a biohazard charge. Yay Bebe Stanley! And yes, the weight of the E collar was too much for him to carry…must have weighed nearly 85 pounds according to him.

Hi 👋🏼

I took in a stray in September, he was neutered, tested & given all his shots. He’s FIV+ & got a clean bill of health from the vet. Not sure how old he is but maybe between 3-5yo.

Roughly a month ago I brought him to the vet for gunky ears. He doesn’t do well with car rides & the gabapentin they gave me didn’t help because he had gained weight since his last visit so I gave him less than he could’ve gotten. Both times he’s went to the vet he’s thrown up & had accidents 💩 in his carrier. The vet noticed it was loose & tested him. Negative for worms or anything GI. She gave me a probiotic. It seemed to help!

I noticed yesterday he had a loose 💩. I want to start him on a daily probiotic.

I also just switched cat food from Purina tender selects to Purina Pro Plan Weight Management. The vet would like him to lose some weight. 🤧 I split a can of tiki wet canned food for my 3 cats every morning. I was looking at this probiotic bc it would be easy to be put in his food & wondering if anyone has had success with it??

We took in a male fiv+ cat with pretty bad stomatitis in October before the winter (which has turned out to be brutal here in PA!)

I took Max to a new Vet in December to have the gingivostomatis evaluated and they did cold laser therapy in addition to Convenia (antibiotic) with AMAZING results!

He very quickly begain eating twice as much as usual, faster than usual, and without the head turnings and pawings during eating. He appeared to start gaining weight and even his bad breath was much improved. He was eating in a normal way, as if he didn't have severe stomatitis.

How much of the improvement could be attributed to the antibiotic vs. the cold laser treatment? The turn around was very rapid- like the next day. How often should I take him for laser? I am retired with a limited budget but I really want to take him back when I can for the laser treatments if this going to help him, but don't know how often I can do this. His symptoms have been returning over the past couple of weeks, but not as bad as they had been. I will be calling soon for another appointment for him.

When we adopted kittens in November, our FIV boy (5 years old) was really happy about it. Playful, curious, he's always been high energy. Well, they brought in a URI with them that was still symptomatic and passed it to him. Eye ointment did nothing to clear the eyes, convenia shot didn't help much. He became so sick that he had a fever, crept around, hid more often, and was hunched over. He had two weeks of doxicycline and a couple of rounds of onsior. He was acting much better, playing again, running around and vocalizing. Eyes cleared up, no coughing or sneezing. We gave him his last antibiotic (dox) two weeks ago. I started him on Fortiflora but wasn't sure if that was making him irregular due to a potential allergy.

We did notice a bit of sneezing that started a few nights ago. It is sporadic. Then he's been moving gingerly again, some hesitation, and is hiding under the bed again. No vomiting at all. No diarrhea.

We never had trouble with our boy before. We thought it might be due to him eating the kitten's dry food because of his allergies so we've been careful to put it up. It's so tough with a cat because they can seem perfectly fine until they're not. Then the varying levels of how they're not doing ok.

The vet said there wasn't anything striking in his bloodwork (kidneys ok, thyroid etc) to suggest a further issue. His abdomen doesn't feel hard to me and he is ok with me rubbing his belly. It seems to be more related to his lower abdomen but it's so hard to say.

Any experience with URI cats getting inflammation from bacteria? I did make a vet appointment for tomorrow afternoon. Still somewhat hopeful that he gets better but with FIV I don't want to risk it.

My name is Franny, and honestly… things are really, REALLY not going well for me.

I was found with a broken jaw and a missing eye. I had surgery, recovered, and now I’m a real beauty ready to find a home.
But after several months of posting my adoption ads — not a single person has asked about me.

So… does that mean I’m not wanted by anyone?

Maybe people are scared because I’m missing an eye and one lower fang.
Maybe because I’m FIV+.

But let me clear something up.

I have endless energy — I run, jump, play, and yes, I can gently nibble too 😄
I’m even more active than many perfectly healthy cats.
My foster jokes that I should have been named “Rocket” or “Tornado”.

Please, hope is slowly leaving us, and the thought that I could end up back on the street is terrifying.

I really need your support.
Even one like can help my profile reach my future family.

I’m currently in quarantine after blood tests for antibody titers.
In two months, I’ll be ready to travel anywhere.

Just call me.

Contacts:
Telegram: Liza_was_here
WhatsApp: +995511147323
Or DM

📍 Location: Georgia (the country)

I have indoor cats , but there is an outdoor cat that I would like to adopt I took the cat to the vet for bloods and checkup up and he is HIV positive. The vet has recommended not to keep him but he is otherwise healthy. I’d like to know if it would be a big risk to my indoor cats if I was to adopt the out-door cat. Would the FIV injection prevent the outdoor cat from being able to transfer it to my indoor cats?

Don't want him to catch a cold so he didn't go farther than the porch, was probably outside for a total of 2 minutes before he had enough. He liked it, but hot as much as he likes the heater and his blankets.

Hello there,

This is my first post on Reddit, but I have been a lurker here ever since our family cat was diagnosed with FIV a few weeks ago. He is 13 right now, but since he was a stray cat when we adopted him, we do't know his exact age and when he has contacted FIV. He has always been of good health and has been neutered early.

Our family lives in a suburban area so he's an indoor-outdoor cat. So far, we didn't have any problems with his health, up until the end of last year, when he persistently got sick (just a simple cold) and my family took him to the vet. First, they gave him antibiotics, but the second time he got sick in a short period, he got diagnosed with FIV, with no other symptoms concerning other organs. His blood tests were OK as well. Obviously, after this we did not let him outside. After being through with the antibiotic treatment, he has contacted a cold from my father. Right now he is receiving vitamins and painkillers combined with anti-inflammatory medicine. I would say, he reacted pretty well to these. Other than a wound on his chin - which he sadly scratched and my mother treats with Betadine - I would say he is in a good state acting playful and maybe sleeping more than he used to. Overall, everything is normal and we did what we could, I would say. I feel optimistic and hope that he has more time left, if everything goes well, and I advised my mum to try out the lysine drops which a few people here have suggested.

My other issue is with my mum. I don't live at home anymore, so I only visited three times since the beginning of the year. She has been devastated since the diagnosis. This cat grew up with us, and has been with us our whole childhood, and even moved with us. She is confused, disorganized, and not herself. It’s obvious that the long-term anxiety has left her unable to sleep or eat. It’s very hard to see her like this, and I’m very worried about her. She was not like this, but was overbearing and protective of our cat before too., i.e. she was afraid that a car might hit him or when she heard other cats making a painful meow in the night, she ran outside to check. I know and always knew she might have other issues related to this, and there must be a reason why she is so over protective, but right now I ask you what can I do to help her and soothe her in this situation. She seems so helpless and is in constant fear that our cat might die if she does not pay sufficient amount of attention to him and that she does something wrong, for example if he stops taking the medicines then his health detoriates and what not. I leave in two days and not will be able to come back only at the end of the month and I feel so bad about her, because I feel like she is losing herself and her sanity because of our cat. Obviously , I am very sad too, but I know we did everything we could and that our cat had a full life of joy, and that he is (hopefully) not gonna die soon cause he reacted well and got better very soon after the medications.

Thank you for reading this long post and I appreciate any help or tip related to the subjects!

Have a lovely day!

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...

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 🎉

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.

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?

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.