Search Results for: blog fiv feline aids

Glow-in-the-Dark Cats Fight AIDS

The other week I saw an animal story all over the internet, from geeky blogs to big news sites: researchers have developed glow-in-the-dark cats as part of their efforts to combat AIDS. Your first reactions are likely similar to mine: a combination of “wait, what?” and “what are they doing to those poor kitties?” Animal testing is always a tricky issue, but in this case no cats have yet been harmed and the research is not only for a very worthy cause for humans, but for cats as well. There is a feline version of HIV and that’s with what … Continue reading →

Living with a Cat with FIV

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FIV stands for feline immunodeficiency virus — it is a virus related to feline leukemia (FeLV) and HIV in humans that can impair a cat’s ability to fight off infections. Once, a diagnosis of FIV was considered a death sentence. These days, cats with FIV can live long and happy lives. Many FIV positive cats live a decade or more with the disease! Here are some tips to help you if your share your home with a cat who is FIV positive. Take care that your FIV positive cat does not spread the disease to others. The best way to … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Jun 4-10

For the first full week of June, here’s what Aimee and myself covered in the Pets Blog. Monday, June 4 Moose has got a special new trick (slipping out of his collar) that’s giving Aimee fits –and potentially a heart attack. Apparently it’s not enough he just slips his collar, he also thinks Aimee chasing after him to get him hooked back up is a fun game. Tuesday, June 5 The Great Cat Rehabilitation Project made even further progress. I got my Mr. Meow shower buddy back. This is a big step! Aimee and crew have had to make a … Continue reading →

FIV: Feline AIDS

Today I was reading over the New York Times list of what happened on this day in history. In 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the first report on cases that would later come to be known as AIDS. I remember the first time I heard about AIDS. 1984. I remember the first time I heard about a doctor testing a cat for AIDS. 1999. “The vet tested my cat for AIDS. Is he crazy?” Wayne and I were having dinner with our friends Thais and Wlad. As we often did, we swapped funny stories about various … Continue reading →