FIV-positive cats have historically faced high euthanasia rates in shelters despite being able to live long, healthy lives, and progressive policies are transforming their welfare outcomes.
The historical policy of routinely euthanizing FIV-positive shelter cats represents one of the most significant preventable welfare failures in companion animal management. These cats, capable of years of healthy life, were killed based on misunderstanding of transmission risk and overestimation of disease impact. Progressive shelters now house FIV-positive cats in standard adoption populations, educate adopters about realistic management, and achieve adoption rates comparable to FIV-negative cats. This policy shift has saved thousands of lives annually.