A good friend is gone
An owner of 10 cats recounts the euthanasia of his 9-year-old Siamese due to feline leukemia. Vaccines, contagion and the 500-euro cost of cremation.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Feline leukemia: the disease that killed a cat after three weeks missing
A 9-year-old Siamese, one of ten cats in a household, went missing for three weeks. When he returned, skinny and with a bleeding gum, his owner thought it was tartar. Days later, the cat was drooling and refusing food. The vet diagnosed feline leukemia, a bicho similar to HIV in humans, contagious between cats through bodily fluids. Despite treatment, the cat was euthanized. The owner spent nearly 500 euros on the cremation and the urn.
What is feline leukemia?
Feline leukemia is caused by the feline immunodeficiency bicho (FIV). It is transmitted mainly through bites and contact with blood. It is not the same as cancer: it is a viral infection that weakens the immune system. Many cats can live for years without symptoms, but once it manifests, the prognosis is poor. A vaccine exists, given during the first vet visits. However, once a cat is infected, the vaccine is useless. The Siamese's owner argues that vaccines guarantee nothing and that he knows of vaccinated cats that died anyway.
How to prevent contagion?
The best prevention is vaccination and keeping cats indoors. In this case, the animal went outside and ran away for three weeks. When he returned, already infected, he probably passed it on to the other cats in the home. The owner has a colony of ten cats, two of which are descendants of the Siamese. The vets' recommendation is to run serology tests on all the cats in the house and isolate the infected ones. The owner is skeptical about the Elisa and PCR tests, and blames the females being in heat more than the lack of vaccination.
The emotional and financial cost
The owner describes his relationship with his cat: they used to go for walks together, and the animal would wait for him in the street. The helplessness of watching him decline is the heaviest burden. Gubelkian reproaches him for not vaccinating against leukemia, calling him a "son of a bitch". Other forum users show their support and encouragement. The owner insists he is not cheap and that he has spent nearly 500 euros on the cremation. The question that remains open: could it have been prevented with the vaccine? The answer is not clear, because even vaccinated cats can become infected if exposed.
Related discussions on the forum
A 9-year-old Siamese, one of ten cats in a household, went missing for three weeks. When he returned, skinny and with a bleeding gum, his owner thought it was tartar. Days later, the cat was drooling and refusing food. The vet diagnosed feline leukemia, a bicho similar to HIV in humans, contagious between cats through bodily fluids. Despite treatment, the cat was euthanized. The owner spent nearly 500 euros on the cremation and the urn.
What is feline leukemia?
Feline leukemia is caused by the feline immunodeficiency bicho (FIV). It is transmitted mainly through bites and contact with blood. It is not the same as cancer: it is a viral infection that weakens the immune system. Many cats can live for years without symptoms, but once it manifests, the prognosis is poor. A vaccine exists, given during the first vet visits. However, once a cat is infected, the vaccine is useless. The Siamese's owner argues that vaccines guarantee nothing and that he knows of vaccinated cats that died anyway.
How to prevent contagion?
The best prevention is vaccination and keeping cats indoors. In this case, the animal went outside and ran away for three weeks. When he returned, already infected, he probably passed it on to the other cats in the home. The owner has a colony of ten cats, two of which are descendants of the Siamese. The vets' recommendation is to run serology tests on all the cats in the house and isolate the infected ones. The owner is skeptical about the Elisa and PCR tests, and blames the females being in heat more than the lack of vaccination.
The emotional and financial cost
The owner describes his relationship with his cat: they used to go for walks together, and the animal would wait for him in the street. The helplessness of watching him decline is the heaviest burden. Gubelkian reproaches him for not vaccinating against leukemia, calling him a "son of a bitch". Other forum users show their support and encouragement. The owner insists he is not cheap and that he has spent nearly 500 euros on the cremation. The question that remains open: could it have been prevented with the vaccine? The answer is not clear, because even vaccinated cats can become infected if exposed.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (16 replies).
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