My FIV cat is active but not gaining weight. How can I help her thrive?

I agree, those symptoms are concerning for intestinal, oral, or kidney disease. Unless the test was falsely positive, cats don't outgrow FIV. There is also no cure for the virus, though not all cats that have it will develop disease. I would recommend that Tiger get checked out by the vet. After a thorough physical exam and review of his symptoms, the vet may recommend bloodwork, urinalysis, or x-rays to see what is going on. Here is more information on FIV in cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feline-immunodeficiency-virus-fiv-in-cats/

Radiographs of your cat's chest and abdomen will reveal any abnormalities with his heart, lungs, will show if there is fluid accumulated, any tumors or anatomical changes that signal heart or pulmonary disorders or other conditions that could be adversely affecting him. You can try to stimulate his appetite by adding some water or low sodium chicken broth to dry food, mixing in a little wet food and'or warming his food. Warming makes it more aromatic and therefore more appealing to a cat with a depressed appetite. It is vital that he continues to eat, as cats can experience liver damage after only a couple of days if not eating. Work closely with your vet, call and ask questions, get him in for rechecks, this helps them keep on top of Bunlot's condition.

No, it's not cruel to keep Winnie confined in one room if this is what you need to do - many cats have living arrangements like this, and can still have a good quality of life as long as you spend time with her each day and she has a comfortable living area. I would definitely agree that it's a much nicer option for her than living as a stray or being taken to a shelter. For what it's worth, FIV is really only transmitted to other cats through deep bite wounds, not casual contact like grooming or sharing food or water bowls. So if she and Ellie get along, there's really no reason that you need to keep them separated - many cat owners have an FIV+ cat who is loose in the house with their other cats, with no problems at all. Just a thought, in case this is something you want to consider :)

I would recommend that you have Lily examined by a vet to see if there is a medical cause for her being underweight. Sometimes there can be low levels of protein being lost to the intestines or through the kidneys that will cause inability to gain weight. It may or may not be seen with other symptoms, like vomiting, diarrhea, or urinary symptoms. Baseline blood work and urinalysis is important, and if the protein is low then additional testing may be indicated.

This seems unusual - FIV is a viral disease and vaccines would not be considered a trigger. It’s difficult to know whether or not these symptoms are related to FIV without knowing the results of the confirmatory test or the other lab work. If she does have FIV it’s possible that she could live a normal life span although she will be predisposed to infections in the future. Your vet may want to run more tests to look for infections.

Oh dear, poor Atticus! It is difficult to determine if his significant weight loss is due to his respiratory condition or FIV. If these bacteria are present and causing problems, then yes, he should be treated for them. Anemia can be caused by chronic disease processes that decrease red blood cell production, blood loss, or destruction of the red blood cells. I'm glad to hear that his lymphocyte count is normal. Without examining Atticus and evaluating all of his test results, I can't help to determine his prognosis and if his condition can improve. I hope that all goes well for Atticus.

This may be an allergy or a skin infection that is causing these symptoms. Any cat with FiV has a compromised immune system so it is harder to keep basic infections under control. Your vet can check his liver and kidney values a thyroid tobser if those are contributing factors and see what medicine will be needed to clear the problem