Managing FIV-positive cats in multi-cat households requires understanding of transmission risk to provide safe environments for both positive and negative cats.
The historical advice to euthanize or permanently isolate FIV-positive cats has been refined by better understanding of transmission biology. FIV-positive cats in stable, non-fighting groups do not meaningfully threaten the FIV-negative cats they live with, and isolation has significant welfare costs for a social or semi-social species. The welfare-positive approach manages FIV-positive cats as part of stable household groups with careful monitoring for any conflict that increases transmission risk, providing both positive and negative cats with the social companionship that contributes to their wellbeing.