Cat AIDS is still a major cause of disease in cats. FIV feline Immunodefficiency Virus. The human AIDS virus is called HIV and can only be transmitted to people. FIV is only transferable to cats. A person can therefore never get FIV and a cat cannot get HIV. FIV can be demonstrated by a blood test, which shows antibodies to FIV in the blood after 3 to 4 weeks after infection.
Can FIV cat AIDS be cured?
FIV is unfortunately not yet curable, an infected cat will carry this throughout his life. If the FIV is diagnosed, the cat may be free of complaints for a longer period of time. The only thing that can be done is to make the disease as bearable as possible. Eventually, cat AIDS will become fatal to the cat.
The course of cat AIDS
The virus will gradually affect the cat’s immune system. The white blood cells are affected, causing them to die. When the white blood cells die, the cat’s immune system weakens. Because this is gradual, there will be no complaints in the beginning. After 2 to 5 years it becomes really clear that the immune system is deteriorating. Due to the weak immune system, the cat is also much more susceptible to other infections with bacteria and viruses. Worldwide, FIV occurs in 1 to 14% of cats. In the Netherlands there are few stray cats compared to other countries and FIV is less common.
How is cat AIDS FIV transmitted?
Cat AIDS is transmitted via scratchand bite wounds during a fight with an infected and non-infected cat. Pregnant cats that have FIV can also infect the kittens during pregnancy. Even when the kittens are born, they can still be infected with FIV via the breast milk of the infected cat. As with humans, FIV can also be transmitted through sexual contact or dirty needles / blood transfusion.
Take good care of your cat’s resistance
Your cat is more sensitive because of FIV. Make sure your cat receives its vaccinations on time and is dewormed on time. Try to avoid stress as much as possible, stress has a negative influence on the resistance.
Also interesting: how do you recognize a healthy cat?
