August was a very sobering month for us entrenched in the world of Santa Barbara County’s feral and street cats. Dozens of kittens and adults had to be euthanized due to testing positive for Feline Leukemia (FeLV). While this deadly disease has been of great concern in Santa Maria in recent years, it is now apparent that it is on the rise in Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara as well.

FeLV is passed from cat to cat during mating and fighting, with the virus entering the body via the saliva of a carrier. It can also be passed through an infected mother’s milk to her kittens and between adults by shared grooming.

Per the Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook by DVMs Eldredge, Carlson, and Carlson and Giffin, MD, “[FeLV]…is second only to trauma as the leading cause of death in household cats.” It further states, “Ill feral or free-roaming urban cats may have an incidence [of infection] as high as 40 percent.” This is very scary news for anyone with an indoor/outdoor pet that has not been vaccinated.

Not only is the disease itself deadly and incurable, but it can further suppress the immune system of the animal leaving it open to many other life-threatening illnesses including cancer and anemia.

Repeated or prolonged exposure to a FeLV carrier is necessary to contract the virus, and not every exposed cat will become infected. In fact about 30 percent of them may have a natural resistance, or having been exposed, developed antibodies. A positive-testing nursing queen is destroyed but her young may be able to “throw” the virus if they are separated from their mother quickly enough.

For those infected, about 50 percent will die within six months and 80 percent will be gone within three-and-a-half years. The important thing to remember is that all of these cats will be contagious while they are alive, thus making them threats to any other cat they come in contact with during this time.

All FeLV positive cats that we come across in our trapping endeavors are euthanized, except for kittens as explained earlier. It is the only way to stop the march of this deadly disease across our communities. You, however, can do your part by caring for your own pet.

The first line of defense is to spay/neuter any cat that has access to outdoors. If your pet has not already been tested and vaccinated against the disease, this would be the optimal time to do that. Since it can take up to a year after exposure for the virus to appear, a yearly retesting it advised. If your cat tests positive, make it an indoor-only cat immediately or follow the advice of your veterinarian if euthanizing is recommended.

For further protection, keep your cat indoors especially at night when fights most often occur. There are many wonderful toys and other distractions that can make this confinement agreeable and not so much a “cage.” Better yet, take the animal off the streets all together.

The most common negative remark we hear when we advocate indoor only is that it is unnatural for a cat. This is also the same response we get to spay/neuter advice, often from the same people. Consider the consequences of ignoring the second one…

Intact animals left to breed outside live an average of only three-five years while an indoor cat can live 12-15 years.

Intact animals are prone to roaming and fighting and therefore more likely to be exposed to diseases such as FeLV. They are also more likely to be injured or killed.

A breeding female infected with any disease (FeLV, FIV, FIP, herpes, URI…), can pass it on to her kittens causing a high mortality rate and/or high veterinary bills.

If your cat is pregnant and at risk for FeLV, have her tested before she gives birth. Never give kittens from an unprotected mother away that have not first been tested themselves.

Please be a responsible pet owner. Protect your cat and your community by doing your part to help stop the spread of this deadly disease.

Book of the Week: The Complete Cat’s Meow by Darlene Arden is the most comprehensive and informative reference book on everything feline I’ve read. Already in its second printing, Ms Arden tells it all in an easy-to-read fashion making this the book to buy for yourself and a second one for a friend.