Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Important Information for Cat Lovers

KAR Friends June 2012

Dear Reader, Summer is here and with it -- warm weather and fun in the sun! This month we bring you some fun facts about dogs and cats. Our Ask the Vet column addresses the Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, important information for cat lovers. Doggie Den provides some helpful tips for improving your canine’s table manners, and Cat’s Corner shares the happy adoption story of two cats with feline leukemia that found the perfect forever home.

Danielle Wallis Lynn Bolhuis Marketing Coordinator KAR Friends Editor

P.S. Our special Spring Edition newsletter was mailed last week. This issue has more great rescue and adoption stories, and you can view it right here.

Pet Fun Facts It’s A Hairy World Out There By Kerrie Jo Harvey IN THIS ISSUE…

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be Pet Fun Facts judged by the way its animals are treated. ~ Ghandi Ask the Vet ~ FeLV and FIV Did you know that when it comes to Doggie Den ~ Dog having pets, the United States is first Table Manners among nations for having the most four-legged critters as family Cats Corner ~ A Tale of members? According to pet Two Kitties population data posted on the Mapsofworld.com website, American families have 61,080,000 dogs in their households. Not that we like to brag or anything, but the US has twice the number of Brazil, who fills second place with 30,051,000 canines. Perhaps this means that American families are twice as fortunate when it comes to enjoying the companionship and loyalty of man’s best friend. Rounding out the rest of the top ten are:

Kalamazoo Animal Rescue  P.O. Box 3295  Kalamazoo, Michigan 49003 Phone: 269.226.8570  www.kalamazooanimalrescue.org

KAR Friends June 2012

China 22,908,000 Japan 9,650,000 Russia 9,600,000 OUR SPONSORS South Africa 9,100,000 France 8,150,000 (click the ads to visit Italy 7,600,000 their websites) Poland 7,520,000 Thailand 6,900,000 With over 172 million canine family members in these ten countries, the United Nations may want to consider bringing woof translators on board!

The United States also holds the number one spot for feline family members with 76,430,000 of these purr-fect little critters in our homes. China is second with 53,100,000; Russia third at 12,700,000; and Brazil fourth with 12,466,000. France and Italy rank fifth and sixth, respectively, with over nine million each. Seventh through tenth places are captured by the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Japan, and Germany with over seven million kitties each. That’s a lot of family-friendly feline lovers! In fact, it is more than the human population of Poland, Germany, and Turkey combined. So when talking with people from other countries who are curious as to what the United States is known for, you may want to tell them about our special four-legged family members instead of baseball or apple pie. Additional Resources:  Dog population data  Cat population data  Human population data

Ask The Vet Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Reviewed By Bruce Withers, DVM Eighth Street Veterinary Care

Everyone is familiar with the scourge the AIDS virus has been for humans but not everybody knows that similar diseases can also attack our pets. The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) attacks the immune system of an infected cat, causing it to be compared to the human AIDS virus. The Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is related to FIV but with somewhat different effects. Both viruses are routinely screened in cats and kittens using a combination test, often completed during a veterinary office visit. These viruses are both members of the retrovirus family consisting of viral particles which can insert into the DNA of the infected animal and remain with him for the rest of his life. The mode of transmission

KAR Friends June 2012

for FeLV and FIV are somewhat different. FeLV is usually passed from an infected cat to a non-infected cat through saliva, feces, or blood and can be passed by a mother cat to kittens through milk. UPCOMING FIV is transmitted through contact with blood and is therefore most ADOPTION EVENTS often associated with bite wounds and not casual contact with body  June 23rd and 24th, secretions. Both diseases are specific to felines and do not develop Petco in a canine or human host, therefore posing no threat to dogs or June 30th and July humans.  1st, Petco The heartbreaking consequences of infection with FeLV can include  July 7th, Crossroads rapid decline and death because the infected cat is unable to fight Mall off infections; cats may develop lymphosarcoma, a malignant cancer  July 14th, PetSmart of the lymphatic system which is ultimately fatal. Not all cats infected with FeLV show early symptoms but any asymptomatic carrier of Visit the Events page this virus poses a threat to infect other cats. There is no treatment on our website for for FeLV. Annual vaccination can act to prevent infection in most upcoming adoption and cats. other special events FIV infected cats are more likely than FeLV cats to show no symptoms for a long period of time. Following infection, a cat infected with FIV may show signs of illness but then become symptom free for months or years. During this time, the FIV carrier cat can pass the virus to other cats but otherwise live a normal life. In spite of this seemingly normal and healthy condition, the FIV cat is at risk for infection and disease because his immune system is compromised by the virus.

There is not an effective treatment for either FeLV or FIV so the best Summer kick off and way to deal with these dangerous diseases is prevention. Although a fun things to do with cat infected with either virus can live for some period of time without pets: apparent disease symptoms, the infected cat should not be allowed to have contact with uninfected felines. Regular vet visits will give Get your pet in shape your pets their best chance for a long and healthy life and will spot problems before they become serious. Keeping cats indoors and Summer pet care tips isolated from outdoor cats who are potential sources of disease is Keeping an indoor cat the safest option. content Additional Resources:  FeLV  FIV

Doggie Den Dog Table Manners

By Kim Bourner

Dogs are family members and some desire a place at the table during mealtime. Yet, as a family member, we in turn care about the health and well-being of our furry friends. This means a separation of the doggie table and people table. But how do you manage this feat? Here is some advance with quotes from an expert.

KAR Friends June 2012

When it comes to table manners, Emily Post provide helpful advice in her book, Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home (1922). PETS OF THE MONTH Advice for Dogs “Elbows are never put on the table while one is eating.” This is fantastic news, as most hounds are not typically able to get theirs onto the dining surface. “Nothing is less important than which fork you use.” Wonderful! Most quadrupeds find it problematical to do so.

Advice for Trainers “Never do anything that is unpleasant to others.” We encourage you to train your furry companion with kindness (positive reinforcement). Ella “Never lose your temper.” It may take a while for your dog to comprehend the table manners you desire from them. Stay calm and keep working on it. Day-to-Day Living Everyone, pets included, needs a place to eat. Growing up, I always sat next to my dad with my mom across from me. Our dog had bowls to eat from in the next room which was her dining area. My parents had set times for meals: breakfast after the first milking, lunch somewhere around noon, and dinner before the evening milking. Our hound enjoyed her dog food at the same times. We had fresh milk at mealtime while our dog enjoyed fresh water. Eating Charity together but in separate rooms meant the dog was occupied with her food and was less interested in the people feast. Looking back there is an area where our family fell short over the See all of our adoptable years, but your dog’s whole health plan could be improved if you Cats, Dogs and Kittens! follow this advice. To keep your pet companionable while you eat, avoid feeding your dog any portion of your human meal. The healthiest diet is to only give them canine specific food. It also avoids creating the desire to eat your chow as well as their own (or instead of it in some cases) which can lead to obesity. Additional suggestions include moving your pup to another room while you dine. If they whine, provide a small but time-consuming treat. With patience and understanding, slowly reintroduce the hound to the mealtime events without treats. The dog should have a regular meal schedule of her own, with the expectation that all doggie commands to “rest”, “lie down”, or “sit” are followed each time the family gathers for dinner. May your dining experiences be pleasant for the whole family. Additional Resources:  Feeding, water and table manners  Manners: they’re what’s for dinner  Feeding table scraps

KAR Friends June 2012

Cat’s Corner A Tale of Two Kitties KAR LINKS By Kendalyn Thuma  Volunteer Felines with special needs usually have a hard time finding a home  Become a foster but cats diagnosed with the Feline Leukemia Virus are the absolute family hardest to place. This is the story of two cats with FeLV that found a very special home.  Senior Cat Companions FeLV is an incurable disease that affects about 2-4% of felines in  KAR Website the United States. Since the virus is contagious to other cats, it is important that infected felines live in a home by themselves or with other kitties that also have the disease. Juliette and Maya both came into Kalamazoo Animal Rescue at different times. Juliette is a young, spunky, confident, and outgoing cat who wants to play and have fun. Maya is more mature, calmer, and has an extremely sweet and loving disposition. KAR volunteers were saddened by the news that both cats had FeLV. Not many people want to adopt a kitty with a fatal disease and we weren’t certain they would ever find an adoptive home. Make a donation and Fortunately, Juliette won the help KAR help animals! jackpot when a wonderful couple approached KAR looking to adopt a cat with the Feline Leukemia Virus. Juliette came to us as a stray kitten dumped near some garbage bins. The couple met her and immediately fell in love with Juliette’s silly and sweet personality. She was whisked away to her forever home and her foster mom was elated, as was everyone else who knew of her special circumstances. Shortly after Juliette was adopted, Maya came into KAR when someone found her being picked on by their own outdoor cats. Maya had been declawed by a previous owner and somehow ended up outside. She was alone, defenseless, and we were happy to come to her aid. Maya’s wonderful foster mom soon received the sad news that she was infected with FeLV. Maya was safe in the rescue but we did not know if she would ever find a forever home. Juliette had recently been adopted and that was extremely unusual. No one was counting on that happening again … until it did! The wonderful couple who adopted Juliette wanted to meet Maya when they learned she had FeLV through one of our amazing volunteers. The meeting went well and before we knew it, Maya was adopted and went to live in her new permanent home.

KAR Friends June 2012

We are all so happy that these two wonderful cats have a forever home, for however long that may be. We wish both Juliette and Maya long happy lives, and are forever grateful to the people willing CONTACT US to open their hearts and take a chance to help the cats who need it the most. Kalamazoo Animal Rescue P.O. Box 3295 About Us Kalamazoo, MI 49003 Kalamazoo Animal Rescue is an all-volunteer, federally recognized Phone: (269) 226-8570 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in 1991 and is funded entirely through Questions or private donations. suggestions for the newsletter? KAR is dedicated to providing refuge to homeless, stray and abandoned cats and Visit our website dogs in Southwest Michigan. Our volunteers give their time and energy to the efforts of rescuing animals and helping them to find permanent homes.