Puff is just an ordinary cat. He likes to greet you through the mail slot, jump into windows to look outside and have conversations with backyard critters and likes to cuddle and claim his own spot on the bed at night, making little noises as he dreams. But Puff also has a not-so-ordinary conditionFIV.
FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, comparable to HIV found in humans but not as similar as it may sound. FIV can’t infect humans or dogs and is only transferred between cats through serious bites or wounds, so FIV-positive cats can mingle with FIV-negative cats, if they get along.
It’s somewhat similar but not very to HIV; it’s not nearly as dangerous. It’s a very slow acting virus and usually cats die of old age before anything can happen connected with the virus. It’s not very contagious at all, only passed with severe bites and usually during rough mating or from tom cats engaged in territorial fighting,` said Carol Hall, president of Whiskers, a local shelter.
Just like the human disease, this feline disease comes with a stigma, mostly because people don’t know much about it, and that’s why the adoption rate for these cats is becoming a problem. Puff falls into this trouble category, currently being care for by Veronica Thomas but in need of a permanent home since she already has six cats of her own. Thomas, an active volunteer for many animal rescue organizations and a librarian at Albany Public Library’s Main branch, is hoping someone will fall in love with Puff and step up to be his hero.
`He’s 13 and a lovely cat. FIV shouldn’t be a deterrent,` said Thomas. `People are put off by senior cats because they’re expecting huge medical bills but he only needs to be kept inside, fed a good diet and given a good life. There’s no specific treatment, he just needs to be kept healthy.`
Puff was surrendered by his owner because they became ill and could no longer care for him, said Thomas. He had also been living with two housemates who tested negative for FIV, proof that the disease isn’t as big a risk as many people think.
Thomas took Puff in to keep him from being killed, something that’s increasingly common because most shelters don’t take in FIV felines. Whiskers is a no-kill shelter that does take FIV infected cats, with many of its volunteers owning one themselves, said Hall.
`Our viewpoint is that we do try to find these guys homes and many volunteers have them in their own homes, including myself, mingling with negative cats; there’s never been a problem. Most of these cats are very mellow and sweet,` said Hall. `The only one I’ve ever lost died when she was 18 and it had nothing to do with the virus.`
Whiskers doesn’t conform to the usual practice of shelters turning FIV cats away because it’s privately run and doesn’t have to account to city or county regulations. Halls said many vets still think FIV-positive cats should be put down so it’s important to find Puff a more permanent home to prevent this from happening.
`If a cats has got to have a chronic condition, and we hope no cat does, FIV is the way to go. It’s a fairly gentle virus to have; it’s not going to kill your cat,` said Hall.
Thomas said she urges people who are thinking about adoption to ignore that Puff has FIV and consider what his true value is`to be a loyal and trusted companion.
`Cats are an integral part of a family. They bring a lot of unconditional love. If you come home from a rotten day at work, they’re happy to see you and it’s comforting. Their presence is always there and unlike humans, they’re non-judgmental and love you,` said Thomas.
Puff needs a home and Thomas said she encourages anyone who might be interested to reach out to her at 355-4687.
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