FIV-positive cats can live long, comfortable lives with appropriate care. Understanding the virus helps owners provide excellent welfare and avoid unnecessary euthanasia of FIV-positive cats.
FIV-positive cats deserve the same quality of life and welfare considerations as any other cat, and historical assumptions that FIV diagnosis equals short lifespan and inevitable suffering are not supported by current evidence. Many FIV-positive cats live into old age with excellent quality of life, reaching the end of their lives due to unrelated conditions. The welfare priorities for FIV-positive cats include preventing secondary infections through prompt treatment, maintaining good dental health, providing stress-reduced environments that support immune function, and regular monitoring for signs of immune compromise. Shelter euthanasia of FIV-positive cats purely on the basis of FIV status is now considered ethically unjustifiable by most feline welfare organisations.