Two Beloved FIV Boys

Sweet Taz  (SM)

There’s a steady trickle of FIV+ cats who arrive to our care from rescues all over the province.  Where there are people doing TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release), you can be pretty sure that some of the cats trapped will be FIV+ because it’s almost exclusively a virus passed by unneutered tom-cats. Once the cats are neutered, the testosterone that drives the fight-and-bite instincts is gone, and like the rest of the Sanctuary cats, they usually learn to get on well enough with each other.

Dust Bunny  (BC)

Our FIV+ boys are either ferals or strays. The ones who have come in as ferals may or may not tame up, and if they do, it may take awhile. Cypress was an aggressive, angry boy when he arrived in 2018 and now he wants in on laptime and treats. Obelix was very shy when he came a year later, and now looks for petting and love. A feral cat may appear settled, but the stress of a relocation, if we were to consider adoption for either, would probably drive them back into a place of fear. A stray, on the other hand, has known a home and human touch. The strays often appear very scared initially, and then blossom under touch and attention.

DB  (BC)

In the last six months we’ve had two new boys come to us, and settle so easily that it’s pretty obvious that they are strays rather than ferals. They began in different areas of the Sanctuary; Taz was in the Val Jones pen, and Dust Bunny in the larger New Aids. Dust Bunny arrived in March, from Foster Critters rescue in Duncan. His rescuer tells us that he was an occasional visitor at a small colony where they were doing TNR, and it was supposed that he was a barn-cat from a nearby farm. It soon became obvious that he was probably more than just a barn-cat; though initially very scared, it only took a few approaches from the Kitty Comforters to have him asking for petting and love.

Summer lounging in the back pen  (BC)

Our guess was that he has been stray for some time; he had earmites and bad skin and broken teeth. Skin and teeth are a common FIV+ problem, and it didn’t take long for the vets to whisk him in for urgent dental care. He’s not lost all his teeth, but they’re greatly reduced. Cage time was hard for him – he SO wanted human attention, and now he’s out and about he’s loving petting and laptime from volunteers and visitors.

May I come up?  (BC)

Unfortunately, as the new kid in the schoolyard, he was something of a target for Angus, who in turn was out of sorts that his favourite bed had been taken over by Kicks. Angus started taking out his frustrations on Dust Bunny, and we made the decision to move DB across to the Val Jones area.  At time of writing, he’s in a cage (short term), going for a vet check, and then he’ll be out and about with the Val Jones cats.

Taz loves his humans  (SM)

He’ll soon get to know Taz, who came to us in early summer, and who has proved to be a real love-bug. When Taz first came to us, it was hard to visit him in a cage, because a visit was never long enough, and he would cry when left. He had been in fosterage, and his foster-mother loved him, but had other FIV- cats, and her vet recommended not mixing them. In fact, we know that FIV+ and FIV- cats can live together safely, but as we saw with Angus, personalities do come into play, and territorial issues in a multiple-cat situation led her to the cautious decision.

Whatever the weather, Taz loves the heat-lamp! (BC)

In fact, Taz is loving with humans, and even more so, with other cats. Jim is delighted; he has been the resident Val Jones love-bug and his love has not always been reciprocated (not that it put him off much!); Taz and Jim can often be found playing or snuggled together.
Taz may have some vision problems; he’s slightly squinty, and possibly had entropion surgery for in-turned eyelashes. I’ve found that he doesn’t always see just where treats are, though he is aware of movement. But he moves with confidence and doesn’t feel his way around like a blind cat.

Enjoying the sunbathing....   (SM)

Both Dust Bunny and Taz are entirely adoptable. The fact that they’re in the Val Jones area and therefore living with the bladder-crystal cats doesn’t mean that they have that problem, though they’re living with that diet for now – it just means we wanted them near the front courtyard and more accessible to visitors.
We are so pleased when visitors fall in love with the FIV+ cats. In the last couple of years, first Biggie and then his brother Simon found homes, as did handsome Goose, Hank the hunk, and brave tripod Trooper; this summer sweet Kicks has gone to a foster-home where they hope to get his skin itchies under control. They may carry the FIV retrovirus, but it doesn’t mean they’re sick; it just means we need  to take a bit more care in keeping them healthy – and thereby benefit from all the love that a cat like Dust Bunny or Taz is ready to share with the right person.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Selena Marchetti

Tri-paw'd Alert

Kicks  (KN)

Most of the cats that come to us from outside the Lower Mainland do so through contacts with a number of rescues around the province, but especially in the case of FIV+ or FeLV+ cats, we will take cats from further afield; there are very few places where there are specific facilities for them, and where they can continue to get ongoing medical care and attention. Mostly, they don’t need it – FIV+ cats can live long lives, and can also co-exist happily with FIV- cats, but keeping them separated means greater safety from anything that might compromise their immune systems.

Checking from the upper walkway  (KN)

Fans of the cats in the New Aids pen will probably remember Trooper, who survived a bad winter experience with a leg-hold trap in Saskatchewan, and who came to us with his right front leg amputated. We are delighted to welcome another tripod cat to join the other FIV cats – this time without his left front leg.   Kicks arrived from Manitoba – part of a large fostering situation that needed reducing. The original email from the rescue that sent him said, "Our vet thinks he lost his leg to a leg trap but it has healed over. How did he survive??? Only Kicks knows the answer to that." 

Favourite place to lounge  (BC)

Kicks came to us last fall. It was obvious that he was not a feral cat – he was certainly very timid, initially, but having overcome his shyness, he was quick to respond to petting and treats from the Kitty Comforters. Once out of his cage, progress was swift. Initially he would take himself into hiding up on the walkways, but rapidly realised he had little to fear from us. 

Slightly more wary at floor level  (BB)

Climbing the ramps is a bit of a challenge when you’re a cat with three legs, but Kicks worked out how to do it without much jumping, and he now spends much of his time lounging on the table by the big window. Angus is usually the inhabitant of one of the beds there, and can be a bit of a bully, but Kicks has learned to stand up to him without any actual fighting, and Angus will mostly stay out of his way. Other cats like Obelix are quite comfortable around him.

Sharing the table with Obelix (BC)

From his table-bed he summons his fan-club – he likes attention not only from volunteers and KCs, but is happy also to interact with weekend visitors.  When we have particularly crowded days, some of the cats may get stressed, and band-aids are produced for the unwary. It doesn’t take much petting for Cypress or Dahlia to let people know not to touch! Kicks has a much higher tolerance for petting hands, and when it gets a bit much, his reaction is to remove himself quietly up the ramp to the upper levels.

Enjoying the sunshine (BB)

FIV+ cats can make good adoption prospects; the retrovirus in their systems often affects them only  minimally, and several of the New Aids boys – including tripod Trooper – were adopted last year. I think we’re all hoping that the right person will come along for a mutual love affair with our sweet Kicks.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brit Burant, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson

Another FIV Sweetheart

Chance (KN)

In the last few months we’ve had the addition of some very special cats to our FIV colony. I introduced Trooper in August, and Hank and Goose last month. As we’ve got to know them, we’ve also had another special boy in the background – and he is starting to blossom.  His name is Chance - a name he shares with one of the first cats I met at the Sanctuary, and who Claire Fossey described as "a furry disaster"

The battered boy - a picture from his Victoria foster

This second Chance came to us last July from Broken Promises rescue on Vancouver Island – we think he’s about 5 years old.  Even more than Hank, he’s a poster boy for an FIV stray – a big blocky cat with the musculature and large jowls of a late-neutered feline. He has the crumpled “cauliflower” ears of a long-time boxer; in his case, fighting may not be so much the cause as ear-mites leading to haematomas that never received any care. He reminds me of our beloved Bossanova – the ears are part of that, but the sad eyes and the hissy fearfulness that gradually gave way to trust complete the picture. When he was trapped there were obvious signs of fighting wounds, and he had care from a loving foster before he was transferred to RAPS.

Still wary, but hopeful  (BC)

He spent the first six weeks in a cage – initially with a drape in place, and some aggressive hissing coming from behind it. Many newer volunteers, in this situation, quietly pull the litter box out for scooping and place food and water for him without disturbing him.  The Kitty Comforters push the boundaries a bit, and several of us would climb into his cage with him, even if only to talk.  We discovered that a back-scratcher was a useful tool to allow him to experience touch at a remove, and found that he adored scritches round his head and ears – what he didn’t enjoy was having his drape moved, but once it was out of the way, he became quicker to settle down to enjoying caresses and melted into the petting hand.

Under the chair  (BC)

In the usual way, once the med staff decided it was time, Chance’s cage was opened, and having lived for a few days pretending the barrier was in place, he ventured out and went to ground under the adjacent chair. This presented a little more challenge – entry to the cabin usually meant discovering a Kitty Comforter lying on the ground, and coaxing Chance to emerge – all the while gently dissuading the other FIV cats who felt that humans lay on the ground for their benefit, and gathered around for attention.  Occasionally Chance would take some human-free time to climb the cat-tree and find a place in the cage-top beds, but he really preferred being at floor-level, and where he could retreat to a hidden place.

Chance thinks Henrie is a great cuddler

It’s wonderful that we have so many friendly cats in this pen – cats that are just longing to have someone with whom they can cuddle. Trooper, Biggie, Simon, Hank, Boomer, Angus – they all want attention, and the first four at least would do really well in their own homes (Goose went to his new family last week!) - but the fact that they all want attention means that Chance is very wary about emerging from hiding. 

Cuddles with Marty - and Trooper wants in...   (VE)

Our regular NewAids volunteers have proved to be most successful – they may not be labelled Kitty Comforters, but they sure have the gift!  Once the dinner plates are out and the cats otherwise occupied, Chance is more willing to risk himself and climb up for a cuddle – and the worried face relaxes to the point where you can see the smile emerging.

Look at that smile!  (KC)

Chance’s life has probably been a series of battles with other tomcats, and at the moment he’s actually happier with humans than he is with the other felines.  But he’s come so far from the fearful boy of the past summer; once he becomes fully comfortable with the largely non-aggressive encounters with a testosterone-free community of cats, we hope his growing confidence will make him an active member of our FIV family.

Hey Hank - can I share the lap?   (BC)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Katy Cobb, Brigid Coult, Vince Edwards,

Henrie Morgan, Karen Nicholson

FIV+... But Still Adoptable

Angus (KN)

One of the conditions under which people may adopt cats from RAPS Adoption Centre is that the cat they take should remain an indoor pet. Some people find this a very hard condition, and stretch it to teaching the cat to wear a harness and leash, or building a catio for “outside” ventures. But it’s a condition that we will continue to ask for, because outside life for a cat can be a risky business.

Obelix   (KN)

Not only are there perils like traffic, coyotes, poison (and poisoned prey) but other cats they encounter may be dangerous to them. This is because of two viral conditions which are common to ferals and strays. Both present no danger to humans, but to varying degrees, will compromise the feline immune system.  These are Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). There is no medication available to cure a cat once it is infected – all we can do is treat the secondary infections.

Dillon  (KN)

FeLV is the more dangerous of the two, severely compromising the immune system, and transmitted via the cat’s saliva. For that reason, our Leukemia cats are kept separate and we follow careful sanitation protocols with them – not to protect ourselves, but to prevent them from catching something we might bring into their enclosure.  FIV, sometimes called Feline Aids, is transmitted only through blood, and is often found among feral male cats, who fight each other over females, territory and food sources. Infected female cats may pass the virus to their kittens in utero; of our 40 or so FIV cats, only four are female.

Minuet's sister was adopted,
but this girl is still too scared  (LBF)

There are three stages to FIV: an initial acute phase as the virus replicates rapidly, an asymptomatic phase which may last for years, and a progressive phase in which secondary infections occur – skin, mouth, eyes, respiratory or urinary problems are all common in this stage.  Visitors are often surprised to see this healthy bunch of cats being kept apart, but it’s easier for the med staff to keep an eye on them for secondary issues when they’re all together like this.  Accepted wisdom holds that FIV+ cats should not have contact with FIV- ones, but in fact when there is no aggression between cats, there can be no transmission. The story of Simba and Jack is a good reminder that FIV doesn’t need to divide good buddies.

Angus snuggling with his favourite blanket  (KN)

So, though not kept in the Adoption Centre, there are several of our FIV cats who are eminently adoptable – and who, if they bonded with resident cats, could live in a mixed household.  Tuxedo Angus has been on Petfinder for some time; he’s a sweet boy, living in New Aids, and struggling a bit with some of the strong purr-sonalities there. You will often find him buried under a blanket as he shuts out the world, and he’s happy to come for petting and love if he can do so without Domino getting in the way. He's a happy lap-sitter/bread-maker! Sleek black Obelix came to us several years ago, and is related to the calico crew in the front courtyard.  He was very shy for some time, and still tends to hold back until he knows and trusts you – at which point he is excited to come for petting and treats.

Obelix is wary at first, but loving when he trusts  (KN)

The cats who live in the Val Jones corner are also FIV+, and most of them are friendly and sociable. There are three that are immediately adoptable, and they’re all black. Dillon came from the same source as Chai, Kahlua and Dominique, in the main courtyard. He’s pretty cat-friendly, and is definitely pro-human – willing to come out and visit; his buddy Charles was quickly adopted. Longer-haired Gizmo looks is a very different Gizmo from the grey Back Courtyard guy – this Gizmo is friendly and sociable and there’s been no hint of grey-Gizmo’s erratic temper. Unfortunately he is already showing some mouth problems, and it may be better to keep him where he has quick access to RAPS medical attention.

Gizmo loves to come for petting  (BC)

One other boy in the Val Jones is a shoo-in for adoptability - he's the first to climb into a lap, and give love - but he's also the most loving cat to other cats in the pen. Jim arrived with his beloved buddy Frank more than two years ago; we lost Frank last year. Jim now snuggles with everyone - even grumpy Magnus plays with him. He has been the comforter for scared Minuet, and helped bring her to a point where we can touch her. For the health of the Val Jones community, Jim may be a permanent fixture!

Jim  (LBF)

The third black boy is new, and much younger – Raymond is about four years old, and has only recently arrived at RAPS from another rescue. He is an outgoing and very affectionate boy with lots of love to give. Shelter Manager Shena says, “He truly is a real sweetheart and would love a family of his own. He loves chatting and has a lot to say. He is very easy-going and enjoys laying sprawled out across the window ledge looking at all the sights. He is polydactyl which means if you love toe beans, he has an extra one for you to love.” 

Raymond  (LBF)

All our black boys also suffer from black-cat-syndrome – they are easily overlooked for more colourful kitties.  But any black-cat lover will tell you that it usually takes only a little time to uncover the purr-sonality behind all that black fur – and that you will be the lucky one indeed if you take one of these guys to your heart, despite their FIV+ diagnosis.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson