My kitten tested FIV positive. Does he need a FeLV vaccination?

I would tend to agree with your vet. FIV positive cats do not have a normal immune system, so vaccinating them may not be effective regardless and the vaccine itself can sometimes cause unwanted reactions. If Mikel's life-style is low-risk (indoor only, no new cats added recently to the household), I would not recommend vaccinating him as the downsides probably outweigh the benefits for him.

Try not to worry too much as it is incredibly unlikely that this vaccine will cause any issues with Lolly. The amount of virus in these vaccines is only enough to stimulate the immune system but not to actually cause the disease itself. For Lolly to infect the other are she would have to have the disease. Personally I vaccinate all cats for felv regardless of whether they go outside just in case they were to escape from the house etc. The vaccine won't do her any harm, but it is of course your decision whether you want her to have it or not, I imagine your vet made a mistake in giving it because it is so often done in the routine.

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?

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.

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.

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.

While technically they are at risk, they are adults that have been vaccinated so it is less likely they will contract the virus. Cats at greatest risk of infection are those that may be exposed to infected cats, either via prolonged close contact or through bite wounds. Such cats include: 1) Cats living with infected cats or with cats of unknown infection status 2) Cats allowed outdoors unsupervised, where they may be bitten by an infected cat 3) Kittens born to infected mothers Kittens are much more susceptible to infection than are adult cats, and therefore are at the greatest risk of infection if exposed. The degree of virus exposure sufficient to infect 100% of young kittens will infect only 30% or fewer adults. Nonetheless, even healthy adult cats can become infected if sufficiently exposed. It is best to separate the cats. If it turns out that sister's cat has FeLv, it is not an immediate death sentence. Retrovirus-positive cats may live many years without related illness.