Austin Pets Alive! are doing a wonderful job with respect to FeLV positive cats: they have a program which keeps them alive and in new homes. FeLV positive cats suffer from the feline leukaemia virus. The spokesperson at Austin Pets Alive!, Monica Frenden, says that FeLV positive cats are often euthanized at shelters. I guess they are seen as having no future and they are contagious.
The prognosis for FeLV positive cats is variable. Some cats kill off the virus (about 40%) while others keep the virus in check but sadly, about 30% die and some die within months while some have no symptoms after four years. The Berkeley East Bay Humane Society say that FeLV positive cats normally die within 3.5 years of being diagnosed.
The important point is this: these cats can have a decent life ahead of them and they can make great cat companions. They deserve a chance and Austin Pets Alive! recognise their value and do their utmost to ensure that they find a new home by adopting them out without charge and providing financial support to adopters for veterinary care resulting from the disease.
Monica Frenden says that about 2% of the feline population have the virus. Wikipedia stated at one time and perhaps still do that about 0.5% of pet cats are infected with this virus. Berkeley East Bay Humane Society say that 3% are affected.
Whichever statistic you take, there are a lot of FeLV positive cats in America. Austin Pets Alive! save almost 100% of the cats in their charge which carry the virus. They do such a good job that they have gone into partnership with the University of Florida who are studying the cats with the intention of finding a cure for the virus. This animal rescue organisation has such a good knowledge of this disease that it makes sense for scientists to work with them to find a cure. They pull FeLV positive cats from across the country and even from Mexico.
Austin Pets Alive! want to give FeLV positive cats the same opportunities in life that ordinary healthy cats have. They want their lives to be no different to other cats. They succeed in this laudable objective.
Here is a video news bulletin about Austin Pets Alive! which is the source of this article.
