Can I pass FeLV to my cat?

Mothers can pass it onto their kittens. It cannot be transmitted when holding, petting, or cuddling a FIV-positive cat, and the virus cannot live on surfaces or clothing.

How easily is FeLV transmitted?

How do cats get FeLV? The virus is typically spread from cat to cat via close contact of infected and non-infected cats. It is normally spread via saliva, but it can also be spread by grooming, shared food bowls, bites and other forms of close contact. It is typically not spread in urine or feces.

Can cats with FeLV be asymptomatic?

The majority of cats that are exposed to FeLV and test positive for FeLV will mount an effective immune response that suppresses the virus (called regressive infection); these cats will test negative on subsequent tests, are asymptomatic, and are at low risk of transmitting the disease to other cats.

How is feline leukemia transmitted to cats?

The virus occurs in saliva, nasal secretions, urine, feces and milk from infected cats. It is spread cat-to-cat through: bite wounds. from an infected mother cat to her kittens.

Can a FeLV positive cat live with other cats?

For socialized, owned cats, it is generally recommended that FeLV-positive cats only live in homes with other FeLV-positive cats. (FIV-positive cats can live with other cats who don’t have FIV as long as they get along and don’t fight, causing bite wounds.)

Can FeLV negative and FeLV positive cats live together?

Can FIV-negative and FIV-positive cats live together? Yes, as long as the cats get along and do not fight. The risk of an FIV-positive cat spreading the virus to an FIV-negative cat can be minimized by putting both cats in separate rooms until you are confident that they will not fight with each other.

Should FeLV positive cats be vaccinated?

For the vast majority of cats, a blood test is highly recommended prior to vaccinating to determine whether a cat has been infected the FeLV virus. If the cat tests positive for FeLV, there is no benefit in administering the vaccine, as it will not offer any protection against the virus.

Can FIV and FeLV cats live together?

Don’t Test Community Cats for FIV and FeLV For socialized, owned cats, it is generally recommended that FeLV-positive cats only live in homes with other FeLV-positive cats. (FIV-positive cats can live with other cats who don’t have FIV as long as they get along and don’t fight, causing bite wounds.)

How long does feline leukemia virus live on surfaces?

Keeping the environment clean can help prevent the spread of FPV and FeLV. Although FPV can be killed in the environment by cleaning with a dilute bleach solution, the virus can live on surfaces for up to 2 years and is resistant to many other cleaning products and disinfectants.

How contagious is feline leukemia to other cats?

A cat with FeLV sheds a large quantity of the virus in its saliva, as well as in other bodily fluids such as nasal secretions, urine and feces. However, FeLV is not a highly contagious virus, and transmission generally requires a prolonged period of close contact between infected and susceptible cats.

Can a cat with leukemia be around other cats?

Cats who are positive for the feline leukemia virus require special considerations. They can live with other species (dogs, bunnies and so on), but must be an only cat or live with other felines who have the disease.

Can two cats with FeLV live together?

Can a cat with FeLV be exposed to other cats?

A cat exposed to FeLV doesn’t necessarily get infected About 30 percent of exposed cats don’t get infected at all. Another 30 percent develop a transient infection — the virus is present in their blood and saliva for less than 12 weeks, after which they are cured and aren’t contagious to other cats.

What is feline leukemia virus (FeLV)?

FeLV stands for feline leukemia virus. As the name implies, it is a viral infection of cats that affects a cat’s immune system and bone marrow. How do cats get FeLV? The virus is typically spread from infected cats to non-infected cats through close personal contact, usually involving saliva.

Can a cat test positive for FeLV and still have IFA?

Despite all the testing, some cats can continually test positive on the ELISA but continue to be negative on the IFA. This means the cat is infected, but the FeLV virus is sequestered in the body and not yet in the bone marrow. This is called a discordant infection.

How long does it take to test for FeLV in cats?

Household cats that may have been exposed to other cats with unknown FeLV infection status should be immediately tested for FeLV and retested six weeks after exposure. In some cats it can take up to four months to figure out the stage of FeLV infection.