Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

Can FIV positive and negative cats live safely in the same home?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 9 lbs

Can FIV+ and FIV- cats live safely in the same household? I rescued the FIV+ cat very recently (he was a local colony cat who i fed and noticed wasn't neutered) and was told by multiple vets to keep him isolated from my FIV- cat so that there is no transmission. However, I've heard many other people who have fostered in multi-cat households say that it IS safe as long as the two of them get along and don't fight. What is the truth?!

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 19th, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Gimli. He is so handsome! I love that you have adopted an FIV+ cat, many people will not do that. It shows the kind of person you are, very caring. Cats who are FIV- can live with cats who are FIV+ without issue. The method of transmission is through a bite, so if your two cats live peacefully with each other, it cannot be transmitted. The most important thing to do is get your FIV- cat vaccinated again FIV. That will protect the cat from getting it. I have personally heard of a number of mixed households where they lived peacefully with each other. Get your cat fully vaccinated against FIV before integrating them. I hope this helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on May 22nd, 2017
Yes, this is certainly possible. I have quite a few clients with FIV+ cats who live with FIV- cats in the same household. FIV is mainly transmitted through bite wounds, rather than through casual contact like grooming, sharing food and water dishes, etc. So if your cats get along well with each other and do not fight, the risk of transmitting the virus would be very low.

If they do fight, this can be a more serious problem - so in that case, it would be best to keep them separated.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist
Published on February 23rd, 2020
FIV is transmitted through biting. If all of the housecats are kind to each other 100% of the time, then transmission of FIV to the other cats is unlikely, though not completely impossible. FIV suppresses the immune system, so it is important that the other cats remain healthy so as not to expose Sebastian to disease.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on April 18th, 2017
Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine did a long term study in cat shelters and concluded that " FIV-positive cats can live with FIV-negative cats and not infect the FIV-negative cats during normal day-to-day interaction." So yes, it is safe to have them share the same household. FIV is transmitted by deep bites when cats get into intense fights, so separate them immediately if there are any signs of aggression.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Is it safe to adopt a second FIV+ cat if I already have one at home?

It would be safe to adopt another FIV+ cat. The risk of transmission of FIV is relatively low between cats that are friendly but the safest route would be to find another positive cat. If you decide to adopt another cat make sure to introduce the cats slowly and ensure you have adequate resources for both cats. This is a great source for introducing a new cat into your household: https://icatcare.org/advice/how-introduce-kitten-cat

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My kitten tested positive for FIV. Is it dangerous for my senior cats?

Hopefully Bear will test negative for FIV when you take him back in 4 weeks. FIV is transmitted by biting, but not any other casual contact. So the concern in your house would be if Bear is biting your other cats. Certainly this would be unusual in a household situation, so it is not generally recommended to separate FIV positive cats in a household from the other cats. I am attaching a handout with additional information about FIV below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951815 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Can my FeLV positive cat safely live with my vaccinated cats?

It is obviously up to you about mixing the cats. I personally do not recommend mixing feline leukemia cats with negative cats. Even though they are vaccinated not all vaccines are 100%. The positive cat is still putting the negative cats at risk. They can spread leukemia by sharing water bowls, food bowls, litter boxes and standard grooming.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Is it safe to introduce an FIV negative cat to a vaccine-positive cat?

If Penelope is testing positive for FIV because she had the vaccine (and not the natural infection), then she does NOT actually have FIV. She is FIV negative in reality. So then getting another cat who is FIV negative is safe. Neither cat can spread FIV if they don't actually have the naturally occurring infection. Does that make sense?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Adopting a cat exposed to FIV: Are my new cat and pets safe?

FIV is transmitted by bite wounds, so there is little risk to your adopted cat. If you want to be sure you can always have her tested when she arrives. FIV is only a cat disease as well, so there is no risk to your dogs.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Is it okay to keep my FIV positive cat confined to one room?

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 :)

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

How do cats get FIV/FeLV? Is my unvaccinated cat at risk on walks?

Hello, FeLV is transmitted through close, social contact generally via saliva, as in grooming each other or sharing food bowls. FIV is usually transmitted through bite wounds. Since your cat is leashed and not in contact with other cats, this shouldn't be a risk in theory. If she goes outdoors by herself, or there is a chance she could escape, I'd recommend getting her vaccinated just to be safe. Otherwise, keeping her core vaccines (FVRCP and Rabies) should prevent her from acquiring diseases on walks. :) I'm going to link you to a good site on more information about FeLV/FIV in case you want to learn more: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951934 https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951815 I hope this helps. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share