Understanding FeLV infection in cats, its serious welfare consequences, and how vaccination and management can protect both individual cats and feline populations.
FeLV causes progressive welfare deterioration through immunosuppression, opportunistic infections, and cancer development. Affected cats experience a declining trajectory of health that requires attentive management to maintain quality of life for as long as possible. The welfare case for vaccination is compelling: it is safe, effective, and prevents a disease that causes significant suffering and early death. For FeLV-positive cats, welfare management focuses on minimising stress, preventing secondary infections through prompt treatment, regular monitoring, and honest quality of life assessment as disease progresses. Euthanasia at the appropriate point — before suffering becomes unmanageable — is a welfare-positive decision that owners should be supported to make without guilt.