CP's policy on FIV Ferals

[Mark]

There is no easy answer to this. I agree that every animal should have the same chances but if re-releasing an FIV+ means it can infect other cats, is that right? - I would have though it unlikely that a healthy cat could contract FIV from biting and FIV cat though. There are also the health issues Ela mentioned. Is it fair to send a cat out into the world that is going to be plagued with illness and a good chance that it will have to suffer without healthcare. In an ideal world, there would be a place whereFIV ferals can live safely but it isn't an ideal world  

[Ann Clarke (Tabby cat)]

It is not our CP branch's policy to PTS FIVs, if you look at Rescue and Rehoming you will see my thread on Lennox who we are looking for a home for and some people would class him as feral. Please don't think we all operate in the same way because we don't. Also don't take it as gospel that this is HQ's policy as it sometimes depends on who you speak to. they often have temporary staff in who give inconsistent messages. All I can do however is speak for our branch and I can safely say we never put a cat down unless explicity advised to by a vet that the cat is seriously ill and unlikely to recover and is suffering. None of us would be doing this work otherwise.

[ccmacey]

Yep that is my local CPs's policy too,  PTS if positive. I think every cat deserves a chance its not their fault they have caught it!

[Ela]

that is absolutely disgusting of  CP they work like the sspca/rspca Iv heard many things about them more concerend with committee bitchyness & money then cats. 

Don’t believe everything you hear and if some of it were true it may only apply to a very few people countrywide.

Inhouse tests are not 100% accurate & even so like you said once done theres no risk....they should be bloody well ashamed of themselfs & have no right in rescue.

As posted before at our vets we have had no false negs and only one false poss ever (in the cases we have tested and that is numerous cats a year) and even in that one case they vet said before they sent it of to Glasgow that they thought the cat was neg. Although having said this I am not saying that all vets get it right I just do not know.

anaiml selective just like rspca/sspca           rescue work means dealing with ALL animals not just the safe/easy ones.....& if they are not  capable/intelligent enough to understand that then they should not be in that kind of work

Its bloody disgracefully & unacceptable

I am not ashamed of myself for authorising a FIV TRUE feral  (a lot of people call feral what I call garden cats, that is cats that were once domestic that have been let down by their owners or simply got lost , these cats will when penned become tame again) to be PTS I do not like it and it causes me much heartache,  but I would not put one back out into the environment, for a start although as they have now been neutered they may be more calm and less likely to fight, there are plenty of other unneutered cats that will fight with them and then it is likely it can be passed on. The FIV cats immune system is suppressed and they do need veterinary care much more often than 'normal' cats and it is for that reason that we in our branch pay for all vet fees that are related to FIV for the numerous FIV cats we home. If out in the wild a FIV cat could  suffering a long time before someone realised that it needed help, very common are the need for dentals sometimes on a very regular basis, polyps in the ears and bowel problems also seem very common. Also to keep a FIV cat as healthy as possible they need quality food and regular flea and worm treatment. How many people would put quality food out daily and treat them for fleas and worms? It is becoming more and more difficult to find quality homes for 'normal’ ferals even 'normal' cats come to that, many people nowadays just will not have them and that is a sad fact of life. It is not just a case of neutering and putting back into the wild, there is far more than that and everything has to considered as a whole and not what we could do in an ideal world.

It is easy to have an opinion when you are not dealing with ferals and FIV  cats on a DAILY basis. We have up to 6 FIV cats (at the moment we have 5) at any one time and believe me I am very aware of their needs,  know I could not place them back in into the wild knowing those needs.

.....& if they are not  capable/intelligent enough to understand that then they should not be in that kind of work

I am capable and intelligent enough (although don't often show it) and feel I am right for this type of work. How many of the people who call CP and other rescues are able to say they have never refused to help a cat or any other animal that they have been asked to. That is if they are involved in rescue at all. (Obviously I am talking about in our area here, anywhere else I can just give advice) but I have taken in a FIV cats  from Warrington, from Wigan and Derby, 2 ‘normal’ cats from Scotland (Frodo and Sam remember them) and of course more recently Whiskas. Oh! almost forgot yesterday, 2 cats and 4 kittens from Sheffield, and a mother cat and kittens on a bakery roof near Sheffield.  Well I know I can say that I personally have never as far as I can remember refused to help (even the odd bat that is brought to my door). We also  answer our phones 24/7. yet even people on here in rescue have  suggested to me to put the answer phone on and have time out. No way as it could be at that time when a little ones need could be most desperate. So please don’t say that I should not be doing this type of work.

[MBll]

anaiml selective just like rspca/sspca          rescue work means dealing with ALL animals not just the safe/easy ones.....& if they are not  capable/intelligent enough to understand that then they should not be in that kind of work


Its bloody disgracefully & unacceptable

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

I was disappointed to say the least      A while ago when we had this same conversation, I know they had stopped testing all the cats and just did the sickly or battle scarred toms, the others were just done and put back.  Apparently this policy is HQ policy but only applies to the ferals.  With a "nice, tame" cat, the individual branch can take it upon themselves to try and rehome but it has to be with no other cats, has to be an indoor cat etc etc 

[MBll]

that is absolutely disgusting of  CP they work like the sspca/rspca Iv heard many things about them more concerend with committee bitchyness & money then cats.   Inhouse tests are not 100% accurate & even so like you said once done theres no risk....they should be bloody well ashamed of themselfs & have no right in rescue.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

I know we've had this conversation before but talking to my friend this evening, and I was surprised to hear again that ferals with FIV are euthanised regardless of how healthy they are      She has been neutering a colony, and the vets blood tested some of the cats that were taken in.  Two were FIV positive, on an in house test I might add, perfectly healthy and both young.  The vet phoned the HQ up to ask what the policy was when they were positive, and their response was that these cats had to be euthanised so these poor babes have now gone to the bridge        Why can't they just get them done and put them back      FIV is passed on through fighting and bodily fluids.........if cats are spayed and neutered, the problem isn't there any more so what is their bloody problem??-

I know the vets concerned so I will be sending the info on FIV and the inhouse blood testing, and the CP HQ will be getting a copy as well