A couple of weeks ago I posted that one of my cats Skittles had been diagnosed with FeLV. She is doing fine on her medication but now I have another cat that was diagnosed with FeLV. I have them both isolated from my other cats. One vet says to euthanize, but the other says he doesn't always recommend euthanasia because sometimes cats with FeLV can live for several years, depending on the cat and how we take care of them. I am now terrified my other cats may come down with it, even though they were recently vaccinated. We are in the process of having them all tested, so far four are negative. On top of all that my 19 year old cat is in final stages of CRF. One cat is diabetic, and my 16 year old cat is stricturing up again from previous perenial urethrostomy surgeries due to FLUTD. ugh. My son and daughter are helping out or I would go nuts. lol. Any advice or thoughts appreciated.

I'm sorry to hear about your situation, i'll be honest i'm not an expert on FeLV but if at all avoidable I would never like to see a cat euthanised whilst they still have a good quality of life. Obviously you also have to consider your other cats who due to various conditions may have suppressed immune systems and be prone to infection. Also bear in mind the vaccination doesn't give complete immunity.

Does either your son or daughter have a cat free house, would it be possible for them to take them and keep them isolated there?

My daughter has cats as well. We are in the process of getting both mine and her cats tested (even though her cats have not been around mine) just to be safe. Then those that have tested negative will live at one house and the positive tested cats at another. My son lives with me. I would just like to warn people before taking in a new cat to have them tested. My cats are all indoor cats (except for their outdoor enclosed pen). In the thirty years I have been caring for my cats I have never had this happen. My son took in a cat last year from a friend who could not keep him, and I am thinking he may have been the carrier, as I have had my other cats for years and everything was fine, except for those mentioned with medical problems, mostly due to their ages. Thanks for replying.

Cats can live healthily for many years with FeLV. It is not a death sentence. It's simply an ongoing medical condition that you need to be aware of and to monitor for signs of changing health. This is why rescue groups are willing to rehome FeLV positive cats to informed owners.

Are your cats allowed outdoors, or are they indoors only? If they're not exposed to other animals, then it is unlikely that those who haven't got it already will catch it, as it is generally transmitted by extremely intimate contact (i.e. sexually, mother to kitten, etc.). Just the same, vaccinating them is definitely a good idea.