Feline Leukemia has struck my family of cats.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
United States
March 30, 2010 4:16pm CST
My eldest baby, Frisky, has tested positive for Feline Leukemia. I was then told by my vet to bring in Tommy and Goldie to have them tested as well. Goldie has some symptoms of it, but my mom and I cannot see that Tommy has it at all.
My cats are almost 14 and 13 years of ages. Frisky will be 14 in April. Tommy will be 14 in May, and Goldie will be 13 in July. They have all been vaccinated every year, have all been spayed and neutered, and we feed them like there is not tomorrow. We just flee treatment on them, and we keep them as clean as we can, but apparently none of it was enough.
Frisky's mother and sister died from this disease, and I was hoping that Frisky would dodge the bullet, but apparently, he has not.
The vet says that he can live at least two or three more years, so long as we keep his immune system healthy, but he already has so many signs of the condition, and he lost so much weight even with all the food we feed him.
I have been giving him Amoxicillin and Nutri-Cal, but I am seeing very little, if any results.
I love my babies and I don't want to lose them, and I know that there is no cure for this disease.
Has anyone else on My Lot suffered this problem with their cats?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
31 Mar 10
I am so SORRY to hear your Frisky has this terrible disease.
That his mother and his sister had it, means he has probably had it all his life.
He has live 14 yrs. I have lost cats that didn't have FLuk younger than that to kidney failure.
Still, it tears you up to lose a beloved companion at any age. I can only hope the other cats haven't caught it, but I just don't know.
Now... I've been told that if you give them the shots against FLuk, they will then test positive, even when they don't have it...
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
31 Mar 10
Well, some good news. Tommy and Goldie were taken to the vet today, and tested negative for Feline Leukemia, so that is great news, but the sad thing is that Frisky still has it, and all we can do is make him feel comfortable.
Right now, Frisky is not in any pain, thank goodness, but when things start to get worse, I have already been told where to go and what to do when that time comes. Right now, I have everything he needs and I am letting him do whatever he wants, and I am just letting him live out the rest of his days as well as he can.
2 people like this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
31 Mar 10
Often times, many of them are born with it or get it from other cats.
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@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
31 Mar 10
well i will say you are an angel. you have taken better care of your babies then most people do their human babies. so i would not feel any thing you done went wrong. i think they are quite old for cats. i know none of these words help, but theres really not much else you can do. 
when he goes over the rainbow bridge, he will at least be free of pain. and will be able to play and run like as a kitten again
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
31 Mar 10
Frisky, thankfully, is not in pain at the moment, but he does still have some of the symptoms of Feline Leukemia.
My mother and I took Tommy and Goldie to get tested today for it, and they are negative for FeLV, so that makes me feel a little better. I am just making life as comfortable as possible for Frisky until it gets to that time where he cannot do anything anymore, then I will have him humanely put down because that is all I can do.
I was in tears and just angry the last few days because I feel useless that I cannot help him more or cure his disease.
1 person likes this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
31 Mar 10
I am so sorry to hear your news hun, it's heartbreaking. I guess all you can do is give them the best for the time they have and hope that they will stay with you for as long as possible. I haven't had to face up to this, fortunately, but I dread the day when I will have to.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
31 Mar 10
That is what I am doing. I am making his life as comfortable as possible. I don't know what else I can do. I am giving him medications to help his immune system, but I don't know how much that is going to do for him.
@coccodrillina (29)
• Italy
31 Mar 10
Feline Leukemia is a big problem among cats also sterilized. Fortunately my cats have never had it, but I can feel myself near you in this pain. When you love animals (expecially cats) suffering becomes symbiotic.
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
31 Mar 10
Luckily, Frisky is not in any pain right now, but I know that sooner or later he will be and I will not let him suffer when that time comes.
I am giving him medication and doing my best to boost his immune system, but I don't know what else I can do other than that.
I am doing everything that I can to just make him feel comfortable.
