Introducing Buddy, who came in from the cold, warmed up, went to the vet, and got a FIV diagnosis

[Voice for Peace]

At the moment he is asleep under my bed.. I'm posting to request your compassionate
thoughts across the miles for this buddy.

A few months ago he showed up at the window in the cold, looking as if starving. Bit by
bit I would feed him (outside). I thought he was entirely feral, being fully intact male
and very tough, beat up looking. Wouldn't come near me in the beginning. But he was so hungry.

So hungry, so plaintive. Gradually came closer, let himself be touched.
(He must have been with people once, as now we've discovered he is extremely affectionate,
wanting VERY much to be touched massaged petted scratched combed cuddled kissed and
FED.)

The more we touched, the more I realized he needed some vet care but thinking he was
feral I didn't want to traumatize him or me. As it turned out he practically climbed into
the cat carrier himself. He has not once scratched, growled, snarled, bitten. Although a
full big Tom, he is humble gentle and respectful around the other cats.

So what do you do?
A bum cat shows up, hungry and poor. Filthy, ragged.
He has nobody, nothing.
His ear is half torn off and his face is scarred, ugly.
It's freezing outside.
We can barely afford to feed the cats we have now.
But but but
we are not the 1%.
it's hardly a choice.

Buddy more or less moves in, and we take him to the vet. He's actually in pretty good shape...
until.. except.. oops ... he has FIV.

FIV is like HIV for cats. Not curable as far as we know. Contagious, but not likely through casual
contact. Spread mostly through bites fights & sex. Undermines the immune system, generally
shortens the kitty's life. Doesn't have to. This is as much as I know so far. Like a friend who is
HIV positive. Needs care. Don't be scared. Love is everything, everything.

Here he's making a goofy face after finishing his bowl of green goo.
But but but but sigh one day at a time we will figure it out.

[Voice for Peace]

1. a kick and a rec for my buddy

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Taking him in was the right thing to do!

No matter what the long-term diagnosis is for him, he is loved and he knows it.

And that is all that truly matters.

Kudos to you for caring for Buddy.

[Voice for Peace]

5. thank you CPeggy! I keep reminding myself

that I don't need to think long term, just deal with
loving what's in front of me in any given moment.

facial reconstruction surgery isn't an option. but in
about 36 hours he has transformed so much. We used
to call him Scarface but now that doesn't seem funny.

[aquart]

3. He can live to 20 with good standard care, nutrition, and love.

It just isn't the death sentence most think it is. He might lose his teeth.

Taking the stress of stray life off his mind will add years.

What's with his eye?

[Voice for Peace]

6. I think he was in the middle of cleaning up after having soup (green goo) and was making his

squinty Calvin Face. In the other photos his eyes look fine, or bright green.

Thanks for the hopeful point of view.

I don't know how he found us. It's a big commitment, being a human being.
But as long as we're not starving we have something to share.

[onestepforward]

4. Sending compassionate thoughts to Buddy

and to you too for providing a loving home for him.

[Voice for Peace]

13. thank you two steps forward

I changed your name

compassion is like.. ten steps forward, always


Buddy just figured out how to let himself in and out.
He has big jowls and a body like a mountain lion.
Solid hard body, like a rock.

[onestepforward]

24. He's a handsome kitty!

Compassion is definitely forward!

love,
Two Steps Forward

[reusrename]

7. yum yum

Good thoughts for Buddy.

[Voice for Peace]

43. LOL "yum yum" you must be a serious cat lover

[BrotherIvan]

8. He's beautiful!

The scar just gives him character: he's seen more of life, that's all. He found you, and I'll bet there's a reason for it. I wish you and all your fur family the very best!

[Voice for Peace]

36. You are an appreciator of true beauty.. he does have character, softness, light in his eye, humility

thank you for good wishes, it's great to have DU animal lovers
for encouragement and advice.

[cui bono]

9. Lucky kitty! Good on you for taking care of him.

My kitty showed up in my yard as well. Slowly took her in. She was skin and bones and afraid to trust. Had to get her used to being pet again. She was always on alert from having lived outside where there are coyotes and other critters and is still skittish sometimes. It took her a long time to not freak out when she would hear a plastic bag rustle, she thought it was something sneaking up on her in the leaves. I've had her almost 4 years now and she's great. It's so nice to see her sleep completely relaxed now, and watch her play with her toy mice. My only problem with her is she is a great hunter and she still will bring me a mouse or rat or even a bird now and then. I let her out in the day and she comes in at night.

And now another cat decided my yard was his home. I saw him in my yard for almost a week when I tried to approach him. Super skinny so I gave him some food. After that he realized I was his friend and stopped running off and the first time I sat and pet him he drooled so much! He wanted affection even more than food! Once I could I took him to the vet, about 2 weeks after first spotting him, and he is microchipped so we got in touch with the owner and she said she didn't even know he was missing! She said he lives outside all the time cuz he doesn't want to be inside and he gets over the fence and then can't come back in. So she picked him up and said she was going to keep him inside for 5 days. He was only 9 lbs and she said he is normally 17 lbs. Three days later he was back. I texted her and never heard back from her so I've been taking care of him for the last 3 weeks. He's gained 3 pounds but he has tapeworms so hopefully he'll put more on once that's taken care of.

Then another two cats have been hanging around too. All of a sudden my yard is cat central. One orange one I thought was from a lost cat sign so I fed it to lure it into my dog crate until the owner could come get it, turned out it wasn't hers. So now I think he comes around hoping for more food, I'm not sure if it's a stray or not. Another one is kind of fat and I haven't seen him lately but he was lounging on my kitchen porch and in the yard. I feel bad for the orange one but I don't want it hanging around since it scares away the one I've befriended. And I can't leave food out all the time because the skunks and raccoons come by.

Anyway... good luck with your new friend. I'm hoping my new boy will assimilate into the household so he can hang out inside and I won't worry about him being outside at night. He does have a tree he goes up into for the night, so that should keep him safe. And I'm making him a little shelter under a table on my porch in case it ever rains again.

[Voice for Peace]

14. oh dear cui bono I think we have the same affliction.

there are at least three other cats who show up regularly looking
for food and love. Two of them, I know, are being fed, wearing collars,
but they look and act like they live outdoors. Reformed Toms.
In addition to them there is/was Buddy, new adoptee.

And there's a fluffy kitten we suspect is a feral but she is so
fast you rarely get a glimpse. So now we too are cat central.
I wish I had much more money. Have to trust there is a Nature
who provides for all of us.

[Voice for Peace]

38. all those kitties..!

I wonder daily, why do these fat cats with COLLARS come and
sleep in my porch on cold nights?

and why do they hang around in the day? Don't they
like their own people?

I don't feed them, sometimes even shoo them away.
Don't they have a life somewhere?

One of them just threw up outside my porch today.
It was all rainbow-colored undigested food. They
may be coming in hopes of healthier food. I won't feed
kitty fruit loops to any cat.

But somebody is feeding these guys the cheap colorful
stuff. Because it's affordable. Colorful junk food.
Makes me sad.

You know what they say about suckers? We are
reborn every minute. Every pulse of love makes
us new. So you have a heart too big for one person.

Some funny kind of love karma. The critters will
come. What can you do? We are not the 1%.

[LoveMyCali]

10. Even if the FIV shortens hi s life

he will know love and happiness in the time he has and I think he's beautiful. I would kiss that little scarred face!

[Voice for Peace]

16. he kissed me first!! I was petting him and he kissed me on my face.

Then he held my hand. Too much.

[LoveMyCali]

27. Awww

He sounds like such a love bug, you are lucky to have found each other.

[blkmusclmachine]

11. Thx 4 helping the kitty. Even the positive ones need love, too!

[Voice for Peace]

39. thank you, it doesn't seem like a choice, they tug your heart

and I look in my pockets, find something to share.

I am starting to believe in those pockets of generosity
from the fairy tales. No matter how much you give out
of your very meagre possessions, the pocket is never
empty, and you never go hungry. The more you give,
the fuller the pocket becomes.

There is a bounty of love in us.
Life sends us these little clues about itself.
Like a secret key.. turn this key in that lock and you will
be so glad.

[Skittles]

12. a heart for you

you who already has a huge heart

[Voice for Peace]

17. oh thank you so much that made my heart fill up.. nothing quite like the feeling

I am passing the love on to kitty

[Contrary1]

15. I hope Buddy owns you for a very long time...

Where I used to live I was known as the "Crazy Cat Lady". I wasn't aware of that fact until a sweet little 6 year old girl from about a block away showed up at my door looking for her lost kitty.

Over the years I have taken in so many stray and dumped felines, I have lost count. Broken femurs, abcesses, unwanted pregnancies, and other situations too numerous to mention.

Sadly, due to human neglect, many of them ended up being FIV or FELV positive. Some were with us for several years.

They didn't want for much during the time I was allowed to stay with them.

It has been my experience that cast offs make the very best pets. They seem to realize that they were saved by someone who truly cares about them.

Even Scarlet, the feral I have been feeding for over 13 years, gets it...one of these days she might even let me pet her.

Good on you for being there!

[Voice for Peace]

40. Crazy Cat Lady.. feeding a feral for 13 years

Thank you for all your years of caring for strays.. I mean,
on behalf of them and life itself, thank you because not
everybody does and in fact hardly anybody does.
I would take them all if I could and I can't. There shouldn't
be one sad or lonely hungry creature on earth.

Make a little heaven for even a few minutes..
moves the arc.

[Contrary1]

50. I think 13 years might be a record...

My Vet said that she had never heard of a feral living to be that old. I did manage to trap Scarlet a few years back and had her spayed. I was told then that she had been around the block more than a couple times. What a tramp!

I suspect that the 3 male kitties I have now may have been from one of her litters. They are 13 years old now, and were found under a neighbor's deck. Their female sibling was FIV+, and died a couple years ago. She was a real sweetie, and I still miss her.

I keep telling myself never again...

Yeah.

[pacalo]

18. This is so heartwarming.

You are an angel on earth.

[Voice for Peace]

41. that would be funny to find out.

All this time thinking we are crazy neurotic mortals, or
whatever we think, and then finding out we actually are
those ANGELS we've always heard about...

Maybe it is so. Love filling our hearts from the
inside, not the outside, but from the inside, from an ocean
there. So much love inside of us. Water angels.
An ocean of kindness.

[liberalla]

19. I'm pulling for ya, Buddy!

He looks like a real character. I'm so happy you two found each other.

My best wishes for you both.

[Voice for Peace]

31. thank you

the good wishes here are very nourishing.
It's great to have so many animal lovers in one place.

[sinkingfeeling]

20. You keep him, of course! I have had 4 similar stories. All 4 just showed

up hungry. All 4 were full Toms. All 4 have FIV. From what I know about 1/3 of FIV cats will die from it, 1/3 will lead fairly normal lives, having occasional bouts of being ill (fixed with antibiotics, IV fluids, etc.), and 1/3 will never show any signs of illness.

If you have other cats, they might contact FIV if he bites or scratches them.

P.S. Please do have him neutered when he feels a tad better.

[Voice for Peace]

25. it seems FIV is high in the feral population, I never knew about it before

It seems likely that others in the neighborhood are infected
if he is, and maybe even one of my own cats -- who has been
living in this neighborhood for a long time and had many
fights, even though he's neutered.

There is no way I can keep only-indoor cats, or isolate them
from one another. so it seems the best thing for all concerned
is to get him neutered.

Do you still have the 4 cats with FIV? Did they move in
with other non-FIV cats? As far as I can tell,Buddy doesn't
even suggest to them that he might bite or scratch.. but
they avoid him.

[sinkingfeeling]

32. I'm kind of like you. I still have all 4 of my cats. The first came,

eating Styrofoam due to hunger, in 2005. The next in 2008. A pretty white long-haired with blue eyes showed up just weeks after I lost my big old Samoyed dog in 2009. And the last one and the one that has had 2 bouts with infections came in 2010.

I have inside dogs that hate cats. So my guys are outside ones. They sleep and mostly stay on an enclosed back porch, complete with heat lamps during the winter (they're lobbying for AC for summer comfort). I have about 2 acres of woods surrounding the house and I really believe they don't leave my property. I've never seen them even cross the street. However, I have one vet who always gives me the 'lecture' about them spreading FIV to other cats that might roam onto my property and get in a fight with them. He recommended I put down the last one, Gabby, who did look really thin and sickly when he came. Now Gabs outweighs the others and seems to live a normal life.

I just remembered that there's a picture of my 'wild' cats on DU.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1161&pid=1117

I'll have to see if that takes you directly to my post or not.

[Voice for Peace]

33. I'm skeptical of dire prognoses of any kind.. the living body is so brilliant at healing

given the right conditions and nutrients. Your kitties all look like
healthy happy cats. Apparently many people euthanize when
they get FIV diagnosis.

Buddy wants to eat ten times a day.. I'm not going to be
able to afford him!!

At they vet they said if we want to keep him we should
isolate him from all other cats, and keep him as an indoor
cat. ha. ha. not a possibility. At the same time they seem
to understand the realities, and weren't being pushy about
anything. I hate guilt trips.

Is there any issue with neutering a cat with FIV that you
know of?

[sinkingfeeling]

34. Not that I'm aware of. They have a weak immune system and get infections and

abbesses easily. I actually keep some antibiotics on hand and give to mine when they stop eating and start sleeping too much.

[Voice for Peace]

35. thanks so much for your input

& love to all your kitties and pups, you have a lot

[KC]

21. That's so

wonderful. It sounds like Buddy picked the right place to go!
I think he's a handsome cat.
I hope once he starts feeling better and if you can, you'll consider getting him neutered.
Maybe try to make him an indoor kitty (I did that to mine) because he will live longer

[Voice for Peace]

26. Neutering is on the agenda, as soon as possible.

Indoor-only won't work here but I think with the neutering
he will stay close to home.

[KC]

28. Cool!

I hope you keep posting pictures so we can
see how he's doing!

[sked14]

22. Sending hugs and good vibes to you and Buddy.

You are a good person for taking in this beautiful cat who otherwise might not have survived and I like to believe that Buddy showed up at your home because he knew there was a kind, compassionate person there who would help him.

[Voice for Peace]

29. thank you

it's a little overwhelming if I stop and think about it..
so I won't.

[hermetic]

23. Sending you and Buddy

Huge amounts of

[Voice for Peace]

30. thank you

one fuzzy nuzzle at a time

[hamsterjill]

37. I've got FIV positive cats.

Thank you for taking him in! He will do much better under your care.

I always try to watch mine for any sign of illness, and get them to the vet immediately if I notice anything. By nipping even minor sickness in the bud and getting treatment quickly, you give FIV cats a better chance at recovery. They also may need a longer course of antibiotics or treatment, etc. to recover.

I've been in cat rescue for many years and the opinions of vets in our area, at least, have changed drastically over the last five years regarding FIV. What was once deemed reason for euthanasia has now become less fearful and more manageable.

My FIV cats interact at will with my other cats. I've never had a transmission. Obviously, they don't fight with each other and all are neutered/spayed without fail!

May you and kitty have many happy years together.

[Voice for Peace]

42. thank you! this is all really good news

I've been feeling intuitively that I don't need to be
anxious about transmission. It seems if we do the
chop he will be inclined to stay out of fights.. that's
that hope.

Thank you for your good wishes.

[hamsterjill]

44. Cornell has some excellent information on FIV

I'm sure you're already researching, etc., but just in case you've not seen this link:

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources/brochure_fiv.cfm

[Voice for Peace]

45. thank you ! I will look it up right now

[Voice for Peace]

59. I'm feeling pretty heartbroken that I can't keep him, I don't have the resources

or space and his presence here is wreaking havoc,
it is NOT his fault, he is a good good kitty, very
gentle.

But another of our cats is always starting a fight
with him, pissing contest around the house, and
now another another of our other cats is hissing
and being agressive towards Buddy, which is
unusual.. he's just scared and Buddy is scared too!
I've been deathly ill for five days with flu and
crying my head off about this cat. and
even considering euthanasia. But first I will search
for a foster. No-kill shelters look terrible.

[hamsterjill]

60. I hope you are successful in finding a good situation for him.

Any shelter that you find, even if it says "no kill", please do your homework and check it out personally.

Did you do the usual protocol of introducing him as a new member of the household (i.e., keeping him confined for a couple of weeks, etc.)? If not, I will be happy to provide you with information on how to do that. Cats must be slowly introduced to one another in order to accept new ones into the brood.

[Voice for Peace]

61. Our household cat situation is a bit complex, and the size of the house self-limiting.

so there was no preparation, but there is no point, it
can't happen here. One of our other cats, no matter
what I do, will never accept him and will always be
creating trouble. As it is I have to supervise him all
the time -- have been working with him and my
other two cats for almost 3 years but is still very
challenging.

I haven't the strength or finances to take on this
difficult situation. I'm making serious inquiries around
to find out about people willing to foster FIV.. apparently
they exist and have good hearts. I don't want him
living in a cage. I may choose euthanasia. I can't tell
you how foreign a choice that is for me. But something
is telling me it may be the kindest route for this boy.

Thanks again, it helps to have support here on DU,
as always.

[Curmudgeoness]

46. Well, isn't he a handsome boy!

I wouldn't concern myself about the FIV, except for watching for any illness and treating it. My sister had a cat with FIV who did not live as long as many cats, but he did live a good long life and he was happy to be loved and cared for after life on the streets. The only suggestion that I can make, from what I learned with my sister's cat, is that some vets will dismiss illnesses with "well, you know, he has FIV and will not live long anyways". She ran into that too often, instead of treating things as they arose....but it was years ago when HIV and FIV were terribly scary.

[Voice for Peace]

47. thanks! this is the first time I have even heard of the virus, so it's especially helpful

hearing from people with first-hand accounts.

I think the biggest obstacles are how to afford to feed
him and how to ease the other cats' concerns.

[diane in sf]

48. My friend's cat with FIV lived to be 19

[Voice for Peace]

51. there you go.. that's a super long life

He may outlive me!

[TorchTheWitch]

49. Budd is adorable

Who cares about his torn ear or facial scars. He's still cute as a button. His personality means everything anyway, not what he looks like. He's loving and sweet, and he knew to pick your house to go to to save him.

[Voice for Peace]

52. yes.. he just came back after being out all night

and came right up on my bed where he is now curled up.
He has a meow exactly like Simon's cat if you know
those cartoons.

[Voice for Peace]

53. sleeping buddy

[glinda]

54. Bless you for doing this for this sick little guy. Good luck.

[Voice for Peace]

55. thank you!

It's a bit hairy at times because of the other cats... I feel
like I'm on 24-hour diplomacy watch.

[uppityperson]

56. pets for Buddy and other fiv cats

We had one get it, not in fights but had several neighborhood cats with it. RIP my friend cat and best of luck to Buddy

[Voice for Peace]

57. I think there are probably a bunch of cats with FIV in this neighborhood.

sigh

[Voice for Peace]

58. I am really looking to find a home or foster for him.

Can't afford it and it's taking too much crazy toll on the
household and other cats here. Not Buddy's fault.
They are just scared of him and initiate the problems.

[Voice for Peace]

62. Buddy update in case anybody is still checking in... would welcome your thoughts

We are pretty much at the point of deciding to get
him euthanized. I am very nearly at peace with it
but daughter is still searching last ditch to find a
loving shelter for him. She is looking for understanding
to help her make the right decision for him, not
just what is convenient.

A couple of days ago he bit me, so that's an added
problem -- though I don't think he is rabid, and it
was not an aggression attack (I was between him and
his escape route) -- and he shows no sign of being
a rabid cat -- I'm a tiny bit uneasy in that regard.

For now she's doing some more research for another
option, but will give it just a couple more days, on account
of the bite. He has already been in a few fights out
in the hood (not with my cats) and come back bloodied
to my porch for food and shelter.

I have made my peace with the idea that this boy is
not altogether well, and without steady medical care
he will have a very hard life. He seems to me a
very weary cat, gentle and older than his years.

I haven't ever made this decision to end the life of
an animal. It is devastating and confusing.
Daughter is weeping. Thanks

[hamsterjill]

63. Where are you located?

Are there any rescue groups in that area? If you'll tell me where, I'll try to check from my end.

Didn't he get a rabies shot while at the vets?

[Voice for Peace]

64. I'm in Albuquerque

And no, she didn't give a rabies shot.
She gave him a checkover and an antibiotics shot for
his immediate wounds.. the idea was to come back
after a few weeks for neutering and vaccines once
he was better.

I know there are rescue groups but I don't want to
put him in a situation where he is living in a cage
hoping for somebody to foster or adopt him.

Thank you for any help, it is a very tender situation.

[hamsterjill]

65. Oh, goodness!

I'm not sure that I understand how this thread made the turn from such "hopefulness" to now having him killed. When it began, you seemed content to give him a home and were accepting of the issues associated with FIV.

Please understand that I have no way of knowing your personal situation and that I'm not making judgment. But if a cat isn't introduced into a household properly (i.e., kept separate for a couple of weeks to allow his/her scent to be introduced to the existing cats) there will always be issues.

Once a male cat is neutered, it will stop a lot of the aggression. But truthfully, it takes about 30 days post neuter for all of the testosterone to be excreted from the body and it will be that amount of time before you notice a change.

Most rescues that I know of have a time limit for adoption. If an animal isn't adopted within a designated period of time, the animal is either taken by someone associated with the rescue (the most ideal solution) or the animal is euthanized.

If a rescue will take him, at least give him THAT possibility to continue living.

While I am not a medical doctor, this thread began on February 13th. It is now February 26th. That is 13 days. Normal quarantine for rabies is 10 days. This cat is past that time frame, and rabies should not be a consideration unless the cat has been bitten by a rabid animal during those 13 days.

[Voice for Peace]

66. the bite was on Feb.23.. and we remain hopeful

but also need to be practical. There was chaos
in the beginning with him coming into the house
and our not being fully committed and prepared
to keep him - at which point I got deathly sick
with flu and pneumonia and wasn't able to take
charge in a grownup way,daughter was not here/ etc.

The cats had been around this cat for weeks and
months so he was not a completely unfamiliar
cat. It was when he started to come inside that
it got complicated.

Financially I can not afford the food and medical
care for the cats I have. I can not afford to pay
rent and food at the moment for myself. Taking
on another cat with special financial needs has
never been a practical option.

The house is not large enough or such a design
that would make it feasible to keep indoor-only
cats. For now he is more or less living on my
screened porch, free to come and go. He is not
aggressive with my cats and as long as he doesn't
come inside it's a fairly peaceful arrangement, for
now. A problem is that his presence attracts other
neighborhood bully cats so there is that. And
several times since this thread began he has
been out in fights and come back bloody.

I will never let go of hopefulness and we are
continuing to seek the very best option for
him. Thanks for your input.

[joeybee12]

67. First, he probably hasn't been fixed which explains the fights...

I would first check if there are any clinics/rescue groups that will fix him for free...he wouldn't be able to go into a feral colony for fear of infecting the others, he would need to go into a home where he's the only one or with someone whose place is large enough to keep him separate from the others...you don't want him fighting with the other outdoor cats because he's probably infecting those cats, and that's not fair for them...still, I hate tos ee any cat put down when they have the will to love, which this guy definitely does...I would also check online to see if someone outside the area can take him...don't just restrict your search to Albuquerque, or even to NM.

[shenmue]

68. Yay kitty!

Thank you for showing love to that cat.