Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) affects an estimated 2–4% of domestic cats globally. Understanding its transmission, welfare implications, and management enables FIV-positive cats to live long, good-quality lives.
FIV carries a significant stigma that leads to unnecessary euthanasia and reduced adoption rates for shelter cats, despite a prognosis that is often good with appropriate management. The welfare implications of FIV itself are modest in the early and middle stages — welfare is primarily threatened by the secondary infections and cancers that develop as immune function declines. Management focuses on minimising infection risk through indoor housing, regular veterinary monitoring including twice-yearly blood counts, prompt treatment of secondary infections, and high-quality nutrition to support immune function. FIV-positive cats coexisting with FIV-negative cats in low-conflict, indoor environments rarely transmit the virus. Adoption programmes that accurately represent the manageable nature of FIV significantly improve welfare by keeping cats in homes rather than shelters.