Nanaimo cat owners are being advised to ensure their pets are spayed, neutered and kept indoors to prevent them catching feline immunodeficiency virus.
The cautionary measures are being issued by Nanaimo Animal Control Services, CatNap Society and veterinarians after approximately four feral cats allegedly tested positive for the virus in a one-week period.
FIV, sometimes referred to as feline AIDS, attacks an infected cat’s immune system, making the animal susceptible to other infections and severe illnesses from bacteria, fungi and viruses that are normally harmless.
Carley Colclough, Nanaimo Animal Control Services pound and adoption coordinator, said four cats that tested positive were in Harewood.
“The cause for concern is because one cat can spread it to many more cats in a more densely populated area,” Colclough said.
Sabrina Hornfeldt, CatNap Society executive director, said the infections were discovered by coincidence when veterinarians noticed the cats looked unwell.
Hornfeldt said FIV is part of the background noise of diseases and parasites, such as feline leukemia, cryptococcus, ringworm, lice and ear mites, CatNap volunteers see annually that can affect feral cats and free-roaming domestics that come in contact with them.
“This isn’t a particular case of crisis – it’s just that we’re seeing so many in a short period of time. It’s really got everybody’s eyes open, which is good that it’s being discussed because it is out there all year round,” Hornfeldt said.
FIV is spread through cat bites, so the best ways to prevent cats catching the virus is to have them spayed and neutered and keep them indoors to lower the chances of pets fighting with their feral counterparts.
“We would always encourage people to spay and neuter because it’s those cats that are most at risk – those fighting cats – and keeping cats indoors, for sure,” Cathy Maloney, head veterinarian with Clinic for Cats in Nanaimo.
Maloney said veterinarians can test for multiple virus infections and it’s worthwhile finding out what a cat’s “viral status” is if it has been fighting.
Veterinarian Sandi Landa, of Harbour City Animal Hospital, said one of four cats that were rescued from a home in Nanaimo were brought to her by CatNap March 3 and one of those cats tested positive for FIV. She tests all the feral cats brought to her clinic for FIV and feline leukemia.
Landa is unaware of an increase in local infection rates and, unless a cat is fighting with infected cats, it’s chances of contracting FIV are slim.
“I haven’t seen a [FIV] positive cat since then and this little fellow that came up positive, they wanted to try and re-home him with a society that looks after FIV-positive cats, so he left my facility and I haven’t seen him since,” Landa said.