FIV+ Kitten?
TLDR: FIV+ Adult cat and tentatively FIV+ kitten, vet recommends quarantining or rehoming kitten until definitive testing age. FIV cat and kitten are already bonded and may be affected by being separated now. What is the risk of transmission if the kitten is negative?
I adopted a cat (2M) in late January who is FIV+. He is the loveliest little guy, very sweet and playful. After a few months he started to show some signs he was lonely, and had been super curious and excited by cats hanging outside the window that he likes to lay in. I visited the shelter I had adopted him from and they recommended I meet a 12 week old female kitten that had tested positive for the FIV antibodies twice at that point. The woman helping me with the adoption process was well aware of my FIV boy at home and was very encouraging and supportive of my second adoption. She explained the presence of antibodies was not a definitive positive, but assured me that it would likely come back positive once she was tested at a proper age.
This was about a week ago, and since then, the kitten and the older boy have become inseparable. She’s still skittish around people, but is extremely confident and playful with the older cat. They seem to have a lovely bond already, constantly playing, grooming each other, and sleeping next to each other. Zero signs of aggression or tension from either cat since day one of meeting.
Today, I brought her to the local vet, who is familiar with our older cat, because the kitten was increasingly sneezing and sniffling. When we met with the vet, the first thing we were told when he entered the room was that it is dangerous for us to have the new kitten in a home with an FIV+ cat and we should contact the shelter for next steps because it is not responsible to home them together. This was a complete 180 from what the shelter had told us, and was obviously very upsetting to hear.
Im trying to get an idea of how legitimate of a risk this is. I have done considerable amounts of research and read tons of testimonials about FIV+ and FIV- cats coexisting without transmission. I also worry those stories may not represent the true majority, and I should heed the warnings of my vet. The woman at the shelter was so sure that they would be fine roommates and told me about her multiple FIV+ and FIV- cats coexisting without the slightest issue. It would be so upsetting to both myself and my resident cat to have to rehome her, so I’m just trying to see if anyone has experienced anything similar. Please let me know your thoughts!!!!