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***COURTESY LISTINGS*** Tabby & Mr. White Domestic Short Hair Jackson, WY

  • Adult
  • Male
  • Medium

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Health
Spayed / neutered.

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Meet ***COURTESY LISTINGS*** Tabby & Mr. White

TWO SPECIAL NEEDS CATS DESPERATELY NEED A HOME

My husband and I are desperately searching for a home for two special needs cats. Their names are Mr. White and Tabby. We have had both Tabby and Mr. White neutered and vaccinated. Unfortunately, both have been recently tested and found to be positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Our two FIV positive cats are currently boarded at a local veterinary hospital where my husband and I live - Pocatello, Idaho. We met Mr. White and Tabby when each separately came to us looking for food and shelter last winter (2018-2019).We obliged and intended to find permanent homes for them.

While staying with us they lived in heated shelters on our deck where we of course provided food and water, neutered them and provided veterinary care as needed. When one of the cats (Mr. White) developed a cough we took him to our vet for treatment. The diagnosis was an upper respiratory infection for which he received antibiotics, but the cough persisted. On the second visit it was decided he should be tested for FIV because he was not responding to the antibiotic shots that were given. We were shocked when the FIV test was positive, AND consequently we were not permitted to take him home with us because we have six other indoor cats. Therefore, we boarded him at the veterinary hospital and proceeded to test all of our indoor cats and the two additional cats we were caring for on our outdoor deck. One of the other two outdoor cats (Tabby) has tested positive for FIV as well, and he is also boarded at the veterinary hospital. My husband and I are devastated and desperate to find a sanctuary or a residential living arrangement that would accept or specializes in caring for FIV positive cats. Our understanding is that FIV positive cats can live relatively long and healthy lives if they are given proper care and are kept strictly indoors so as not to infect outdoor cats or, for that matter, non-positive indoor cats, who, under favorable circumstances, can co-exist in the same household with FIV positive cats.

We very much hope that Mr. White and Tabby can be given an opportunity to live out their lives, but we cannot incorporate them into our household because we have four indoor cats of long standing (six years) and two 1 ½ year old kittens we acquired when their caretaker could no longer care for them due to illness (and subsequent death). The year and a half year olds have not been well accepted by our original four, and the fur flies more than we can consider safe for all the cats involved. As you know, FIV, unlike Feline Leukemia, is transmitted only through blood contact, usually deep bite wounds. Since FIV cats present absolutely no danger to humans we are hoping to locate a sanctuary or an individual household that is devoted to caring strictly for FIV positive cats or has a situation where both FIV and non-FIV cats can live safely together. Our FIV cats had been enjoying (past tense) very active, happy, and playful lives before they were tested and found positive for FIV, and we DO NOT want them to be euthanized, which some people we have spoken with have suggested may be the only possible solution! We believe euthanasia is wrong and should not be an option at all.

Our goal is to find a way for Mr. White and Tabby to live long natural lives without compromising the safety of other cats.


Judy and Frank Harmon, harmjudy@gmail.com, 208-234-7730 or 208-241-5388.
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***COURTESY LISTINGS*** Tabby & Mr. White

***COURTESY LISTINGS*** Tabby & Mr. White

  • Domestic Short Hair
  • Adult
  • Male