Coping With Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Sobad is a stray young female cat I found during winter two years ago. She took up resident in parked cars to keep warm until one morning the car motor injured her when a woman started it. I scooped her up and tended to her injuries and then a year later she had a positive leukemia test. So that didn’t shake us either.

Months later my friend and her kids were visiting at my place and they were playing with Sobad. I noticed that she looked like she was being zapped of all of her energy and became concerned that the kids were playing rough with her. The next day I could barely peel her up off from the floor. The disease appeared to be taking hold of her. I was very angry at the kids and in my heart blamed them.

I took her to the vet and the doc recommended putting her to sleep. Another option was a blood transfusion. I prayed about it and got my answer. We arranged for a transfusion but the vet let me know the effects might only last a week, maybe three. Not this cat, she’s soo bad and way too tough. Her paws were very white and each day I anticipated more pinkness as an indication that her red blood cells were increasing in number.

It’s been 7 months and her body is regenerating red blood cells at an above normal rate according to her last blood chemistry test. She also had a negative leukemia test yesterday. However, she was positve for FIV Sobad and I believe she’s on her way out of the woods and it just takes a little time to shake that virus all together.

She’s been in remarkable health since about one week after her transfusion and has continued to improve each day.

I decided that three things have contributed to her success, a forgiving heart as I had to let go of blaming the kids who played rough with her for her illness, being fearless as I was never afraid of her condition….I knew whatever happened she would be okay, and just believing in the best possible outcome and the possibilities of miracles and the blessing from God.