susie’s corner
Nemo is our first and only pet. He is extremely affectionate, easy-going, and incredibly responsive. After realizing that he was infected with FIV, we decided to do everything we could to make sure that he lived out his life as happy and healthy as possible. I started doing research about FIV and its possible cures. We believe keeping his immune system strong is the key to keep the virus dormant. I wanted to record Nemo’s life, what he eats, what he does, and what he is all about. I secretly hope that this detail study of a FIV cat from the early stage to the day he decides it’s time to go will help find the cure for this epidemic in cats. I will also try to provide information on FIV related issues, as well as general cat topics. Other than recording his daily life, I guess I also hope that this extraordinary animal, Nemo, will live on in many people’s memory, even after he passes.
Under “Pages” on the right you will find all the topics I’d like to share with you.
I have just found out that the semi-feral cat that I have been feeding has FIV and i have caught him and today he has been put to sleep. However he has infected my own cat who has developed a severe attack of calicivirus over tyhe last 2 months. I know have to face the decision whether to put my own cat to sleep or not.
June 4th, 2008 at 4:02 pmDear Romney,
Thank you for posting a comment on Nemo’s site. I’m sorry to hear that you, too, are going through the difficult time of having your cat infected with FIV. I don’t have any training in veterinary medicines so I can’t tell you what to do with your cat’s condition. If your cat was just infected with FIV, he can still live a long, happy life after he recovers from the attack of calicivirus. I know a few FIV+ cats that occasionally have outbursts of upper respiratory infection yet they recover every single time. I can only tell you what I’d do if I were in your situation. I think I would focus on getting him through the attack for now. If you have other cats you may want to separate him from them at least for now. A lot of experts will disagree with what I about to say but I don’t believe every single FIV+ cat needs to be isolated from the healthy. A friend of mine has a FIV+ that doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body. He has never, and will never, fight with another cat in his home. If that’s your cat, you may not need to separate him for the rest of his life. After he recovers from the calicivirus attack, focus on boosting his immune system. Keep him indoor and keep him strong.
I do not believe the decision of putting an animal to sleep should be taken lightly. Personally I would never put my animal to sleep unless he is ready, and I believe that he would let me know when his time is up. I will fight for him until that last minute.
Sincerely,
June 5th, 2008 at 1:38 pmSusie