We took in a feral kitten last week, about eight weeks old. We took him to the vets three days ago for a check up etc. He had ear mites which the vet cleared up and he was to have his innoculations. The vet suggested some tests for leukemia etc as he had been feral. We had to collect him later that afternoon. When we went to collect him, we were informed that the innoculations had not been done as the kitten had been diagnosed with FIV. The vet asked what we wanted to do, the implication being, did we want him put to sleep? That was never of course an option so we told him to go ahead with the innoculations and we took the kitty home. We then went online to get as much advice and information as possible.

We discovered that the test given to kittens is an antibody test and in kittens under six months old it is extremely unreliable with only a tiny percentage of kittens who tested positive were actually positive. The reason for this being that the kitten still has the anti bodies from their mothers milk in their blood and it takes months to be completely clear for an accurate test result.

I discovered that Bristol University were experts on this and had a dna test which was more accurate. I contacted them and they confirmed my findings and said that the FIV blood test should never be given to a kitten under six months old as it was so unreliable.

I am extremely concerned that a vet offered a test, then gave a diagnosis which as an expert he should have known was highly unreliable with the understanding that we might have put the kitten to sleep, a potentially fully healthy kitten. It was never an option for us but it might have been for someone else. I wonder how often this has happened and how often kittens have died.

Please be aware of this and warn anyone you know who lets their young kitten have the test. FIV is not a death sentence anyway, many cats with FIV live very long and healthy lives and it can only be passed from cat to cat by a deep scratch with saliva in it or a deep bite. So with sensible precautions such as neutering and having an enclosed space for your cat outside your cat should be able to live a normal healthy life. Some will get ill because of the compromised immune system but that could happen to any cat,

Thank you so much for posting that. I had read up on FIV in adult cats but not kittens and I am shocked to say the least by that vet's response.

FIV would not put me off giving a home to a cat or cats and last year I was looking for two cats and did ask several rescue groups near where I live but they didn't have any then two indoor cats not FIV came in as an emergency so I took them.

FIV is very misunderstood and as with the kittens many healthy adult cats are put to sleep simply because they have this, these cats need to be keep as housecats or have a escape and entry proof garden other than they they are just the same as any moggie and the condition won't transfer to humans.

I'd like to wish you a long, happy fun filled life with your new kitty, does puss have a name?

Best wishes
piper

Thank you xxx

Puss is called Moomin

Thankyou for your excellant post. 16 years ago, I had my Riki and I got two siver kittens (Gizmo and Angel) a black one (Pepsi) and an adorable ginger and white boy (Elwood).
Angel suddenly took ill at about 8 months and died, I took Pepsi and Elwood to the vets for their castration and nutering operations and explained to the vet about Angel (Gizmo had already been castrated).
The vet did the operations and took test to see if Pepsi and Elwood had FIV and unfortunately they had. He also said that it was more than likely that Angel had had FIV when she died.
He said that as Pepsi and Elwood had FIV it was almost 100% that Gizmo had it too and it was a waste of time testing him.
Riki was always kept seperate so she had no real chance of catching it and all my cats were indoor cats.
Anyway, Elwood died 6 months later and 6 months after Elwood died, Pepsi succombed to FIV, it was one of the most painfull and heartbreaking times in my life.
I got two more kittens, Clarissa and Polly and had them tested and vacinated as they were mixing with Gizmo and I had Riki vacinated too.
The weird thing is is that Gizmo never had FIV despite me being told it was probably 100% chance that he did.
He died last year, aged 16, of tumours. I still break down thinking about him.
Riki died of old age three years ago and she was 21. Polly and Clarissa are now 15 and still with me.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the op is completely correct about vets.
Sometimes they don't always give us the correct information and it can easily lead to an unnecessary death for healthy animals and heartbreak for us.
Thankyou again for your post, Ruby Shoes..