No, a Cat’s FIV is not Like a Person’s HIV

Though Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is a serious disease, only rarely does it upend a cat’s life—or yours.

Published: August 22, 2024

Young Woman Playing With Cat In Kitchen At Home. Girl Holding An — © Mariia Boiko | Bigstock If your cat does become infected with FIV he should live completely indoors. There are too many infectious agents outdoors waiting to take advantage of his weakened immune system.

There’s no cure for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). And there’s no vaccine to protect against it. No drug can treat it, either. And it sounds a lot like “HIV,” which can progress to AIDS. So of course people are nervous about this feline disease, which strikes an estimated 2 to 5 percent of cats. The concern is so pervasive that a lot of people won’t even consider adopting an FIV-positive cat from a shelter, leaving animals who have tested positive for the condition to languish. Some people have even euthanized a cat found to be FIV-positive.