Poor little Benny.

As you all know I have my precious Edward who is my life at the moment.

But over the last couple of months I noticed this small grey and white cat sitting on the fence outside, then he wandered over and had the most pathetic meow I have ever heard and it looked like he had something badly wrong with one of his eyes.

I started feeding him a couple of sachets of casserole which he ate and he would turn up at the same time every day for the food.

He didnt have a collar and he did not look like he had been fixed. No matter the food he still looked scrawny and I had serious concerns about him.

I couldnt stand it any more, so last night I took him to my vet. She looked at him and said no he has not been fixed and she wasnt sure about the eye.

In the end she said she would take a test for cat aids and if it came back negative she would fix him up, meaning neuter him, give him vaccinations, etc, etc if I wanted to adopt him, I said that would be fine. She kept him overnight to do this.

This morning she rang and said his test was positive for cat AIDS and he had a tumour in his eye and it would be best if he was put to sleep which I agreed.

I said to her I would pay for a wooden urn with a plaque reading - Benny with love Heather and Edward.

I am not sure whether to spread his ashes where I used to see him sitting over the fence or not or put most of the ashes there and keep some.

He hadnt been looked after all his life and he wasnt that old, I wanted him to know that we did have love for him.

Getting emotional again. I know I will see you one day Benny with my precious Biggles and Sniffy alongside my other heaven sent souls. xxoo

That is a sad ending indeed, Bigsy. He is in a better place now. He had to be suffering.

I didn't know there was such a thing as cat aids.

Biggs....ask your vet about your plans and what you need to do to make sure you and eddie have not got the germs from poor benny - he could be carying other things. i've looked up and added the info you need to know about





Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV or Cat AIDS) - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment of FIV in Cats
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Known as FIV or cat AIDS, FIV is an infectious disease caused by a retrovirus belonging to the lentivirus family. It is in the same family as the FeLV virus, and is similar to the HIV virus in humans. FIV infects both domesticated cats, lions, tigers, pumas & cheetahs.

FIV attacks the cells of the immune system, leading to FAIDS (feline acquired immune deficiency syndrome). This compromises the cat's ability to fight off infections.

It was first discovered in 1986 in a colony of cats in California, and is found worldwide.

What is a virus?
A virus is a ultramicroscopic infectious agent which consists of either DNA or RNA wrapped in a protein coat. It is only able to replicate inside living cells. The phrase "a piece of bad news wrapped in protein" is a very well known saying regarding viruses.

Viruses are not living organisms, they don't respirate, process nutrients or generate waste products.

What does FIV do & what are the symptoms?
FIV attacks the cat's immune system which makes it vulnerable to secondary bacterial, viral, fungal & protazoal infections.

Stage 1: Once inside the body, FIV is carried to the regional lymph nodes where it replicates in the white blood cells known as T lymphocytes (CD4+ lymphocyte). It then spreads to other lymph nodes throughout the body. At this time there may be an acute illness which is characterised by fever, leukopenia, anaemia, malaise & swollen lymph nodes, lasting a few weeks. During this initial stage it may go unnoticed that the cat is unwell.

Stage 2: This is the asymptomatic phase which can last for many years. During this stage cat appears healthy & is able to lead a normal life.

Stage 3: As we've already discussed, FIV destroys the T lymphocytes, these cells are required for the proper functioning of the immune system. Eventually when enough T lymphocytes have been destroyed, the immune system loses it's ability to fight off opportunistic infections & signs of immunodeficiency develop.

Cats show a range of symptoms in this stage, these symptoms may vary from cat to cat. Some of which may include:

•Weight loss
•Poor coat condition
•Anemia
•Gastroenteritis
•Gingivitis & stomatitis
•Diarrhoea
•Chronic or recurrent infections of the skin, eyes, urinary tract, respiratory tract etc.
•Cancer

How is FIV transmitted?
The virus is present in large quantities in the cat's saliva, and the most common mode of transmission is via bite wounds. Free roaming, entire male cats are at greater risk as they are more likely to become involved in territorial fighting.

Occasionally FIV is passed onto kittens who's mother is FIV positive. This may happen either in utero or via infected milk.

Cats don't become infected via mutual grooming, nor will the act of mating, although the biting that goes along with mating may pass on the virus.

How is FIV diagnosed?
FIV is diagnosed based on history, clinical signs & a blood test known as ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), which detects antibodies to FIV. It is possible to get false positive or false negatives from these results for the following reasons:

False positive:

If a cat has received the FIV vaccine it will have a positive test result.

Kittens born to FIV infected mothers may have received antibodies from their mothers milk. This doesn't mean that the kitten has FIV, just that it's received antibodies to FIV. Kittens who test positive should be re-tested at a later date.

False negative:

It usually takes several weeks for antibodies to FIV to appear in the blood, if the cat is tested prior to this it will show a negative result.

If the cat is in the later stages of infection it may not be producing antibodies.

A FIV PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is available in some commercial laboratories. PCR detects the presence of the FIV virus in the blood.

Western blot test or IFA (Immuno-Fluorescent Antibody Test): If a cat has tested positive to FIV it is sometimes recommended to follow up with either a Western Blot Test or an IFA test.

If your cat has tested positive to FIV but you are not sure if it has had the vaccine, or want to be sure it does/doesn't have the virus then you may be able to request a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which will be able to detect the presence of FIV DNA in the blood.

How is FIV treated?
There is no cure for FIV, once a cat has it, it's for life. The goal is to provide supportive care to the infected cat. This may include;

•Regular veterinary check ups.
•Maintaining proper parasite control.
•Ensuring that prompt veterinary attention is sought at the first sign of illness.
•Feed a high quality diet.
•Limiting their exposure to disease by keeping them indoors & away from neighbourhood or stray cats.
•The use of anti bacterial & anti fungal drugs
•Maintain a proper vaccination regime to protect your cat from other infectious diseases.
•Blood transfusions may be necessary in stage 3.
•High calorie supplements may be necessary in stage 3.
•There are other drugs available such as interferon & AZT which have been used in some cats, but it is best to speak to your veterinarian about these.

Should I have my FIV positive cat euthanised?
No, this isn't necessary. FIV positive cats can live for many years, especially if they are given prompt medical attention when necessary & supportive care.

Prevention of FIV:
Desexing of all pets, not allowing them to free roam & testing all cats used for breeding.

There is now an FIV vaccine which is available, it isn't 100% effective. Cats given the vaccine will test positive to FIV which may result in confusion, especially in the case of a cat being picked up by a shelter or council. For further information on the vaccine, read here...

Which cats are most at risk of FIV?
Un-neutered, free roaming males are at the greatest risk of FIV. Any cat allowed to free roam is at risk of catching FIV.

Can FIV positive & FIV negative cats live in the same household?

The general opinion is yes, this is okay as long as there isn't any fighting between the cats. As FIV positive cats are more susceptible to opportunistic infections it is important to ensure the health & vaccination status of ALL cats in the household.

Others suggest either keeping FIV positive cats isolated from FIV negative cats or rehoming the FIV positive cat in a single cat household. Your veterinarian is the best person to speak to in this regard.

Can I catch FIV from my cat?
No it is not possible to catch FIV from your cat, nor is it possible for your cat to catch HIV from a human. While both viruses come from the same family, they are species specific.

http://www.cat-world.com.au/feline-immunodeficiency-virus

Aw, I really love kitties and this got me a bit teary.

Thanks guys, taking Eddie up to the vet this afternoon and will be requesting a test to check him out and if he is negative will get him vaccinated.

Just got back from the vet with Ed. Apparently they can take some blood and do a slide for AIDS in cats in the clinic, straight away, which the vet did and it came back negative.

Big sigh of relief.

So Ed has had his first injection of three in total two weeks apart for the feline aids virus. Such a relief.

But Ed got weighed and his overweight, so I have been told to cut his food by a third which I intend to do and which I am sure Ed will hate,

Bad news about the stray, but good news Ed is a ok, I was thinking that he may have been given a shot when he was in the pound!

Wonder if by cutting Eds food by a third you get an extra 30 odd % of meows each day biggsy lol

Beware!

lol, meeoow!

More karmic points for Biggs

That was very kind of you to look after Benny in his last days, he is free of pain now.