Cat is FIV positive and proud

It all started when Bronson the cat appeared in Best Friends magazine. The article was about cats with special needs, and why some conditions may not be as bad as they sound. Bronson, a cat right here at Best Friends, was the example of how great FIV cats can be. (FIV is the feline immunodeficiency virus.)

FIV transmission facts dispel fear

Lisa Anne Hudock read his story at home, and was surprised by something in it. FIV is hard to catch? She’d thought that FIV cats could not live safely with other cats. But in the article it said Bronson could only pass on FIV by giving a serious bite to another cat, or by not being neutered – which of course he is!

Was this true? She called Best Friends to check. And we said, "Don’t take our word for it. Ask your own vet!" She did, and the vet said the same thing. "I had never before realized that it would be safe to have a FIV kitty with my healthy cat if neither cat was aggressive," she said.

Cat with FIV adoption

Her kids had already agreed that they wanted a cat with special needs who might have a little more trouble finding a home. So that settled it! They would take the cat in the article.

How does he like his new Las Vegas home? "He has been awesome," said Lisa. "He must have purred non-stop the first week! He sleeps with the kids every night and they love him to death. He and our existing cat are doing well – an occasional hiss and puff, but for the most part they are doing well (adjusting as typical cats do. He is doing great with the dogs as well. He is an extremely affectionate kitty and we are so happy to have him!"

Find out how another FIV-positive cat is correcting misconceptions about the disease.