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A good Samaritan brought Trina to us. People had been feeding her on the grounds of Saint Elizabeth’s in Washington, DC.
She is an amazing sweet and loving girl. We did scan her and she did find a microchip. We called the company and they have contacted the owner. Unfortunately, they did not want her back so we have taken guardianship. Since she has a microchip, we do know that she is 4 years old and she has been spayed. She is now current on her vaccines.
Unfortunately, she has tested positive for the Feline Leukemia virus. The screen test is called an ELISA test. We ran a confirmation test is called an IFA. She is positive for both.
This virus is in the same class as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). The virus is not contagious to humans or other animals except cats. Feline Leukemia does tend to be a more lethal virus than FIV especially in cats under 3 years of age. Transmission is via saliva and grooming. The virus does not live very long in the environment.
Cats tend to become more resistant to the virus as they age. Kittens are more susceptible to becoming infected. There is a vaccine that is 70% effective.
In my experience, kittens that are infected tend to become very ill before they reach 2-3 years of age. We do have an older cat that tested positive when she was 4 and she is now 12. The prognosis is somewhat better for older cats.
Trina (Saint Elizabeth) will need a special home. It would be best for her to be an only cat or a FELV positive household.
As an adult NOVA Foster, there is no adoption fee. Please contact us if you would like to discuss adoption.