Replied By Deirdre (Atlanta, GA) on 03/08/2009
Back in the 1980s, my mother had 2 cats (Birmans), age 2, that were also diagnosed with this virus and given very little time to live. I don't think she did anything special for them (will have to ask her again though) and they ended up living until 12 years old. I remember that they were diagnosed shortly after receiving vaccinations.Replied By Kitty (Christiansted, VI) on 03/16/2009
A quote from Long Beach Animal Hospital (lbah.com): "[FIV positive] cats are also susceptible to food borne bacterial and parasitic diseases due to their immunosuppression, so do not feed them raw or unpasteurized foods."The raw fish and chicken diet (suggested by the original poster above) would be high in Omega 3s, which is recommended for treatment in other sources on the internet. What would be an alternative?
Replied By Cynthia (Joppa, Md, Usa) on 03/15/2012
I disagree with the suggestion to not feed any raw foods. FIV cats do have a suppressed immune system, however, all cats have a naturally acidic digestive tract. This is what usually prevents them from contracting bacterial illnesses. Think of how many diseases and internal parasites both birds and mice carry yet this is standard prey food for feral cats. A meat-based protein, raw diet for both cats and dogs is as close to a "natural" diet as they can get. It is the processed foods filled with grains, by-products, artificial ingredients and fillers that cause the most harm to these animals. No matter how "natural" or healthy a food claims to be, it is still processed and needs something added to retain its shelf life. When was the last time that you saw a cat hunting a stalk of wheat or barley to eat?Replied By Barbara (Venice, California) on 04/06/2012
Raw foods are terribly dangerous for FIV cats! Whatever you describe as natural is "once natural" and domesticated felines have evolved systems. In nature, FIV cats would simply die off early. They CANNOT combat bacteria that might be in these foods. It's really a shame that people would try this on your advice and endanger their animal. You can make healthful food for your cats; you don't have to add fillers like rice but you should add vitamins, especially iron. If your cat also has kidney problems, that makes it complicated. But, as a person who has had 4 cats living to be over 20 years old, I'm sticking with what I know. NO raw foods to FIV cats.Replied By Polly (Hobe Sound, Fl) on 07/04/2015
I buy my raw food from the Animal House of Distinction in Jupiter, Fl. The owner said that if the food has been frozen for 4 days ( it may have been 5) that that will kill the pathogens. My cats are negative but if I had FIV + cats I would not hesitate to give them the raw food that has been frozen. What I noticed with my cats who were already getting canned organic is that their coats became softer.Replied By Kayla (Ontario) on 01/04/2017
I would agree that raw fish and chicken should NOT be given to FIV+ cats. I've had 2 cats with FIV, both lived 10+ years after being diagnosed and passed away in their 20s. We tried feeding raw meat inniaitally to boost protein levels but found our one guy got a bacterial infection and the vet blamed the raw food. We then switched to higher quality cat food and ensured they had a balanced diet, supplements were added as needed. The most important thing is to monitor your pcat and take them to the vet the minute you suspect they feel off. The biggest risk for FIV+ cats is not the FIV itself but rather complications from other dieases and infections that the FIV makes cats prone to.