Dedicated sanctuary care for FIV-positive cats provides welfare-appropriate housing that protects both the cats themselves and potential adoption candidates while enabling comfortable lives.
FIV-positive cats in shelters and sanctuaries often face unjustified welfare harms from unnecessary isolation, euthanasia based on FIV status alone, or denial of social housing. The evidence that FIV is primarily transmitted through deep bite wounds means that stable, non-fighting colonies of FIV-positive cats have minimal ongoing transmission risk. Appropriate sanctuary care enables FIV-positive cats to live in social groups, receive excellent veterinary care, and await adoption without the stress of isolation or the stigma that previously led to routine euthanasia. Community education changing the perception of FIV-positive cats from 'terminally ill' to 'manageable' significantly improves their welfare outcomes.