We got a cat from a rescue centre. We knew what we wanted. A big, outdoorsy cat that could look after himself in a household with kids and dogs and out and about in the neighbourhood (our last two cats were always coming off worst in the local scraps. We wanted a male cat, to try and balance out the oestrogen in the household and we wanted a tabby. Well we got all of that except the tabby bit with Felix. We asked about his FIV status but were told he was in a low risk group (this is a large young adult male cat being rehomed because he wasn't fitting in with the other cats in the household). We didn't question it at the time. For some reason we got him tested this week and, you've guessed it, he's positive. The vet gave the options of rehoming, keeping him inside or euthanasia. Now indoor cats don't really fit with our lifestyle, especially in the summer. The garden can't be cat proofed. Keeping him is going to be a stuggle.
Subsequently, I have looked at the rescue charities policy on FIV on their website. Apparently its okay to re-house FIV+ cats to remote areas. Obviously they have no worries about introducting FIV to feral cat populations, and have no intention of limiting the spread of this disease. Okay, there is a cost in testing, but we would have paid for it up front. We won't be going back to this charity, there are more responsible organisations who plan ahead so this sort of heart ache doesn't occur.
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