r/FIVcats

I am heartbroken. Please tell me this pain goes away. I adopted him 4 years ago from a friend who needed to rehome him. We had an incredibly unique bond. I still don't know if I will ever have another cat like him. We have another cat who I guess also lost her best friend, but I am finding it so hard to bond with her right now. I guess time heals all wounds.

For anyone wondering, he had many issues that happened at the same time. Upper respiratory infection, inflamed pancreas, thickening layer in the intestine, jaundice and he ultimately stopped eating and drinking water. It's been the worst couple of months to watch him decline and continue taking him to the vet with no improvements.

Hold your babies close. It hurts soooo much when they are gone </3

TLDR; Adopted an FIV+ stray in early November. Despite more than $3K in vet bills, was unable to save him and he crossed the rainbow bridge on April 25. Sparty was a sweet, beautiful soul who deserved way better out of this life.

Sparty showed up on our front porch begging for a meal in early November 2025. Before I even fed him, he let me give him belly rubs! Poor guy was painfully thin with crusty eyes and laryngitis so bad that when he tried to meow no sound would come out. I wanted to bring him in, but with 3 cats, we were already full. 

Later that night, I read on Nextdoor that coyotes were out killing stray cats in the neighborhood. I knew this poor cat was too old and sick to fend off a coyote. So when he showed up again for food the next day, I scooped him up and made him comfortable in my bathroom.

We have an active TNR operation in our neighborhood since we are a dumping ground for cats. And it was clear that Sparty had been dumped. What feral cat lets you rub their belly? He also had a lot of excess skin folds on his neck, which looked like he had lost a lot of weight quickly.  I ordered him a collar and tag with his new name and I swear he looked proud and happy when I put it on him, as if he understood that it meant he was loved and part of a family again.

Sparty had already been neutered with an ear clip, but the vet found him to be anemic, running a fever, and FIV+. The vet said the anemia was likely caused by tick borne illnesses found in his blood test and put him on antibiotics for a month. They also estimated that he was 7 years old, which was shocking because he looked much older since he was in such rough shape. The vet was hopeful he’d recover with good nutrition.

And he did do better for a while. Once out of quarantine, he easily integrated into our family because he was just such a sweet and chill cat. Sparty had a voracious appetite and, since I was trying to put weight on him, I was giving him 5 cans of Fancy Feast a day. He was also crazy for people food. Really the only time he was bad was during meals when he was a little aggressive in checking out my plate. I always shared some of my meal with him and my other cats. He especially loved chicken and salmon, of course.

Sparty had a minor setback in January when he vomited and stopped eating but subQ fluids and an anti nausea shot helped him bounce back. He gained a little weight and a lot of energy. He started getting interested in playing with toys and even jumped really high for the feather fishing pole toy. I wasn’t successful in turning him into a lap cat, but for a stretch he started sleeping on the bed with me. 

Sparty absolutely adored pets. He would aggressively push his face into my hand when I let him like he just couldn’t get enough. And he had a really loud purr. He also loved sleeping on my desk so he could look out the window. 

Toward the end of March, Sparty stopped eating as much wet food. I thought it was because he discovered the dry food wasn’t all that bad and it was out all the time so he didn’t have to wait for me to serve him. The vet had said his appetite would level off eventually when he was no longer starving as much. He also stopped sleeping on my bed but I thought maybe my other cats had bullied him out of the bedroom due to jealousy. 

However in mid-April, Sparty had blood in his urine so I rushed him to the emergency vet. He had a UTI, but tests also showed he was dangerously anemic with a hematocrit of only 16. The vet was so kind and explained that they typically only saw that low a level in cats that are bleeding out from a car accident. She said he was stable at such a low level because his body had slowly gotten used to it. It was likely either cancer or just the FIV itself that destroyed his bone marrow’s ability to create red blood cells. She said, “No heroic measures are going to save him” and that he’d become more and more lethargic as his body literally ran out of blood. A blood transfusion would only last 3 days and wouldn’t help much.

So we decided on palliative care. The vet loaded him up with subQ fluids, an antibiotic shot, an anti inflammatory shot and a ketamine shot for long term pain relief. He also got a 5-day course of buphenorphine and a 7-day course of gabapentin for pain. Sparty became more lethargic throughout the week until he stopped drinking water on his own. He would only eat Temptations cat treats and I had to force feed him water with a syringe. The next day, a vet came to our house and helped Sparty cross the rainbow bridge.

Although I knew him for less than six months, I loved Sparty so much. He had such a good soul and deserved so much better than he got in life. I hate the people who dumped him, probably because he was sick. I hate our society that throws living beings away because they’re no longer cute or easy to deal with. My poor baby, I’m so glad you’re no longer in pain and hope I get to see you again.

she’s only 4 and was doing pretty rough very suddenly. gingivostomatitis, ibd/diarrhea, bicitopenia, leishmania, and so many other things. it all snowballed within a matter of weeks. she’s soldiering on and on 8 medications while she bounces back, with tooth extraction upcoming once her bloodwork improves.

last 3 pics are what im manifesting for her road to recovery: chubby and unbothered

hello! my boy got diagnosed today and i was just wondering how it might affect daily life? he’s 14-15 years old, in relatively good health, and is very sweet. he is my childhood pet and ive never had/met other cats that are FIV positive so i was just wondering how it might affect him considering he’s also a senior. tips and advice would be appreciated!

hello everyone! ive had my FIV kitties for a couple years now and one of them just has the dirtiest ears ive ever seen. ive attached a picture of the aftermath of cleaning them after just a few weeks. she has been checked by the vet multiple times with multiple ear swabs, and theres nothing but normal cat ear things in the swabs. the vet advised me to clean them weekly. i use EpiOtic ear cleaner. she doesnt scratch that them very much but they are definitely itchy and just so dirty. just wondering if anyone else has experience with this or any other advice. thanks!

the pic of her with broken leg is unrelated, it is completely resolved from last year. just for visibility.

UPDATE: Last night in the chaos of it all, I misunderstood the vet. He does NOT have FIV but has leukemia FELV. He is doing really well with the vet care and I am picking him up tonight.

Euthanizing him is currently not on the table unless something drastically changes. I am going to be keeping him in our garage and trying to make it a comfy place for him until I can find him a permanent indoor home or a rescue to assist. I am in the Allen County IN area if anyone has any tips or leads.

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to comment and share their knowledge, experiences, and words of support. It has made me feel like I can really help him and that I don’t need to be discouraged. I have also learned so much about FIV and really can’t thank you all enough. ❤️

TW: Injured/sick cat (Slide 2 and 3. Slide 1 is when he was healthy.)

Location: Allen County, IN

TLDR: Sick stray has FIV. Can no longer be community cat. Husband is allergic and we can’t bring cat inside. Will be housed in our garage for time being. Better to euthanize now or try to find rescue to take him and keep him in garage until then?

Hello, I am looking for advice and hope this post is allowed.

This is Dragon. He is a stray cat I have been trying to help and was hoping to make a community cat. He was recently attacked, injured, and finally let me help him.

I took him to the vet today to get his injuries treated and eventually neutered/vaccinated. However, the vet called me and let me know he has FIV. Ethically, I can’t make him a community cat anymore. I also can’t bring him inside due to my husband’s severe allergies.

My vet recommended finding him a home where he can be indoors or humanely euthanizing him, due to his current condition.

I pick him up from the vet tomorrow and will be giving him medication for a week and he will be confined to my garage until I can find somewhere to take him.

I don’t know what to do. My husband thinks we should give him lots of love, attention, and treats, then euthanize him. He is already 3 years old, at a minimum, and sick. (Age on him being an adult when we first spotted him.)

I am afraid of letting him go too early and not giving him a chance. To me, he has a will to live. I’ve applied to 3 different rescues, but I don’t know if any will take him. Even so, would it more cruel to keep him in a garage, take him to a rescue, then another home, all while he could be sick/dying? He’s been living outside in our neighborhood since we moved in years ago.

I don’t want to add more suffering to his life but I also don’t want to end his life early if it’s not necessary. Thank you if you took the time to read this. I appreciate any advice.

Batman has spent almost 6 months inside. 🥹 Every day I see him get more comfortable and settle in to being an official house cat. Safe to say I think he loves it (and loves having a brother now as per the last picture). 🖤🖤🖤

Hello, I own and run a rescue where we currently have 16 cats. 5 weeks ago a feral showed up begging for help as she was about to give birth. Long story short, we have been keeping momma and babies completely isolated in a spacious bathroom, but the reality is that once the babies are gone(we have homes for all 5!), we are going to have to introduce her to the main cat house where all at this point are FIV positive. I am dedicated to working with her to trust humans, but her instincts are still there. It's a heart breaking decision. Any advice. Momma and babies for tax!

Cat is outdoors and indoors. She got into a cat fight with a stray and it landed my cat with having a claw stuck into her head. Anyways it’s been two months and no antibiotics are making it go away. It helps with the swelling but that’s it. Could she have FIV if it was done through a cat claw? There was no signs of bite wounds when she got attacked. I do have an appt to set up surgery potentially on Monday since this last round of prednisone didn’t help. First pic is the claw stuck 2 months ago that the vet pulled out. Last two pics are from today. The wound feels scabby and raised still with some bleeding from time to time

hey all! FIV+ cat parent here! meet moonpie. he's my 12 y/o FIV+ long haired tuxedo. he has inflammatory bowel disease, a heart murmur, a leaky eye, arthritis, and only seven teeth left. when I adopted moonpie from the rescue I volunteered at, I was told "he will get sick as he gets older". Well, he got sick immediately. it started off with diarrhea, and that was always the main concern. every vet i took him to chalked it up to 'well, he just has FIV+'. I adopted him when he was 4, and I didn't get the referral to an internal specialist vet for another five years.

fast forward that amount of time and about $3k later (not including boarding and grooming for when it was safe for him to be boarded), he is an old, aging man. he is on a steroid to manage his bowels, an anti nausea to keep his Royal Canin hydrolyzed protein down, and a fiber/probiotic supplement. I blend his food in a bullet blender morning and night so he can have fresh, easy to chew food. he likes to eat plastic bags and lay in the sun. First pic is from a few years ago, second pic is Moonpie snoozing with my girlfriend. he got incredibly matted recently so we opted for a lion cut hence his goofy looking appearance.

all this to say this cat has been my heart animal like no other. i have always touted myself as a dog person, but Moonpie proved otherwise. he is so sweet, he has such a big personality, and he is a grade A cuddler.

having a sick, special needs cat is hard. it is expensive. it is very stressful at times. but he has been worth every moment, every penny, all the blood sweat and tears. we're not quite sure what his outlook is with his current health, but his vets are currently only worried about his white blood cell count. I've made it clear that, at his age, I need more symptom management and quality of life care than I do a proper diagnosis of anything else. They have been understanding and gracious about my wishes.

i just wanted to share a quick blurb about the sickest little man whose changed my life for the better. i know i've got him for awhile longer, thank god.

Everyone is doing well!

Squeakers (tuxedo) has become the dogs BFF/pillow. He is the only one who doesn't hate him.

He's also doing great with the other cats. He's been out free-roaming for awhile now, everyone is relaxed together and zero fights, hostility or aggression. I actually feel super guilty for ever thinking about rehoming him when I found out he was FIV+. He's been the best addition.

His neck, that was completely bald & raw from fleas when he first got here, is back to normal and his underbite isn't as noticeable 😂 he does still look perpetually surprised though. He's gained 1.2lbs since I brought him home in March and the vet was happy about that. His coat also looks so much shinier.

Just wanted to post an update for anyone worried about mixing FIV+/-. I was terrified and now I can't imagine my home without this lil dude. Slow introductions, area swapping, feeding them/giving treats at the same time with a barrier, and letting him have alone time with each cat by themselves is definitely the way to go.

He stays out all the time now and all of them sleep together during the day (besides the old guy who sleeps with no one but spite.) Haven't caught any bickering, hissing, swatting or anything on camera while I'm gone. He's honestly just a very respectful kitty and the rest of mine are all pretty chill anyway so it ended up not being a big deal and I let him integrate before 3mos like a lot of people recommend. It just wasn't sustainable to keep him in one room that much. YMMV on that part.

Has anyone had luck with darbepoietin in cases of severe anemia? I don't have high hopes for this but I'm hoping for some success stories.

We got him neutered, brought him indoors only, and are feeding him Hills Perfect Digestion and various lysine supplements. I can't believe this is the same cat.

At our 2nd most recent appointment our vet mentioned FIV+ cats are usually more affectionate than other cats. I've only had the one, and he's always been super affectionate (we call him our puppy) .. I'm just wondering if this is a thing anyone else has noticed? Cat tax included, and much thanks for the support on my last post. This sub is what I needed (especially in the last two months of hell our little cat fam has been going through) and I really appreciate the helpful comments!

*Playstation controller for size reference because my cat is laying in my arms*

What is this hard crumbly clump that keeps reappearing on my cat in the same place?

Okay I’m pretty sure ik what this is, or at least I was. I’m just emotional because I just realized my cats collar was rubbing off her fur and I feel AWFUL. I wish I would’ve known a lot sooner. She doesn’t keep it on all the time, so I feel like I should’ve known it was happening. I dont know. Back to the clump.

For a long while now (I wasn’t able to properly pet her until I had her for a year) she has had small hard bumps on her body that feel like it’s under the skin. Mainly on her mid-lower back, but there are a couple on each side. I haven’t noticed any near the neck/head, nor the legs/feet. There are probably 4-8. sometimes I can’t find them at all. It worries me because I can’t really monitor them if I can’t feel them. My vet checks them out every visit (every 6 months), and they aren’t too concerned about it them (i dont know based on what). We have talked that it could be scars from BBs, cat fights etc. They could be harmless cysts. They dont seem to bother her even when I touch them.

To the clump,
This is the 2nd or 3rd time I have pulled this little bundle of fur and some mainly very light yellow crust that is pretty brittle but still hard. I am trying to find if it came from one of those bumps or not and I really have no idea. It was in same spot each time. It felt like it was just stuck in her fur. I’m just looking for some insight and willing to provide more info if needed. The last time I asked the vet about where they poke to keep an eye on it and I don’t think I feel a need to bump there.
(Also yes I’ve asked my vet about figuring out what it is and they said they would probably take a sample if they ever have to give her anesthesia for a procedure).

Does anyone have any ideas about what this clump could be if it isn’t from a wound healing? If it was pus there would be an obvious wound right? I’m so confused why I can’t find anything like that. She’s gotten x rays and my doctor didn’t mention them (she was being diagnosed for arthritis, outcome: she is).