Companion Animals

Companion Cat Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Management

FIV-positive cats can live long healthy lives with proper management, and their welfare outcomes depend more on care quality than diagnosis.

Key Facts

FIV spreads primarily through deep bite wounds making indoor cats at low risk
FIV-positive cats can live as long as uninfected cats with good veterinary care
They should receive regular health monitoring for secondary infections
FIV-positive and negative cats can coexist safely when fighting is prevented

Welfare Considerations

FIV diagnosis often leads to unnecessary euthanasia based on outdated welfare concerns. FIV-positive cats managed indoors with regular veterinary monitoring have good quality of life and can live many years. Education about FIV welfare outcomes is essential to prevent unnecessary killing of manageable cats.

What You Can Do

Keep FIV-positive cats indoors to prevent transmission and protect them from secondary infection
Schedule biannual veterinary monitoring for FIV-positive cats
Adopt FIV-positive cats from shelters as they are often overlooked
Educate others about the manageable welfare outcomes for FIV-positive cats