Conference misery::feline_v1

    Are you located in the States or in the UK?  Do you have an Allin1
    account?  Are you thinking of starting a boarding cattery or a breeding
    cattery.
    
    From the sounds of it, you are thinking of boarding other people's cats
    while they are away.  You must keep their cats separated from your own
    cats if this is the case.  That will protect both sides.  If you do not
    wish to board Leukemia positive cats, you can ask the owners to bring
    with them a certificate from their vet stating the Leukemia status of
    their cats.
    
    I have a very extensive health fact sheet that I give to the owners of
    queen's that wish to bring their cats to my home for stud service.  The
    health fact sheet must be completed by the owner's veterinarian while
    examining the cat.  I can send you a copy via Allin1 if you let me know
    your address.
    
    Might I also recommend that the cats be vaccinated for all the upper
    respiratory diseases, or at least the three main ones.  You stated that
    you will require distemper vaccination, but you should also require
    vaccination for Rhinotracheitis and Calici Virus.
    
    There is a new book out that might be helpful to you in your new
    venture.  It is written/edited by Neils Pederson of UC Davis fame and
    it is called Feline Husbandry.  It is only available by mail order
    right now, and the cost is about $45.00.
    
    Jo

    FeLuke is devastating and it could quickly spread to the entire
    population in your cattery. There's no reason why you shouldn't be
    asking people to verify that their cats have all the necessary
    innocculations -- including feluke. Our vet also boards and requires
    that dogs have a kennel cough vaccine in addition to the standards.
    
    Feline lukemia has been responsible for almost wiping out the cat
    population at the Nashua Humane Society on a number of occasions.
    Therefore, we've just decided to start testing all of the cats that
    come in -- the tests are very expensive -- $97 for 18 tests -- and we
    get on average of 150-175 cats a month! But it's vitally essential we
    do the testing. Unfortunately, the shelter cannot bear this cost alone,
    so we are forced to increase the adoption fee for cats to defray the
    cost. 
    
    Mike

    Hi again,
      Thank you for responding to me so quickly Mike and Jo. 
      I live in Russell, Mass. and I am starting Denise's Feline Bed and
    Breakfast.  My all-in-one node is:      WFOOFF::HILLS
      Jo, you are a god sent to all of us feliners. I don't know what we
    would do with out you. 
      I have four cats of my own. And I am scared to death of bringing in a
    cat with leukemia. My own cats are my kids. Please tell me Mike what a
    feluke vaccination is. 
      Jo, what is the three main vaccinations for upper respiratory
    diseases? What is the Rhinotracheitis and Calici Virus vaccinations?
      Also, Jo I would love to have you send me your health fact sheet that
    you require the owner to fill out. 
      Thank you again.
      Denise

    Denise -
    
    FELv (Feline Leukemia virus) is a contagious virus that only
    cats get.  It causes death and is uncurable.  Cats pass it to
    each other by saliva or feces contact (I'm pretty sure on this,
    make sure you read the stuff Jo gives you). There is a vaccination
    to prevent a healthy cat from catching this virus.  A blood test
    must be done to determine whether a cat has it or not.  If the
    test is negative,then a series of two shots are given over a certain 
    time frame. Be aware that most cat owners are not even aware what FELv 
    is, so be ready to explain and be very careful because of this.  
    
    Good luck!
    
    Lynne

    Feluk is another way of saying Feline Leukemia, or FeLV (Feline
    Leukemia Virus).  There are vaccines for this.  The newest vaccines are
    made by Leukocell and are a 2 shot series.  The cat goes in for 2 shot,
    a few weeks apart from one another, and then is boosted once a year.
    
    I am under the impression that the distemper, rhino, and calici
    vaccines are all mixed together in one shot.  Is this correct?  Most
    vets refer to the 3 in one as distemper shots, for simplicity sake.
    
    --R.
    

    Denise,
    
    When I take my cats to be boarded they must have a recent vet signed
    contract stating that the cat is FelV negative , rabies, distemper
    and a shot called I believe FeloVac which combines the three shots
    you mentioned.  It is one shot and is a mixture of liquid (saline
    based I believe) injected into another vial of powder (which contains
    the active ingredients) and turns a pretty pink.  They also require
    that the cat is dewormed and flea free.  It's a chore but at least
    I know they won't come back sick.
    
    Lisa

    I will send you a copy of the health fact sheet.  It is part and parcel
    of my stud service agreement, so you will just have to print the whole
    thing out and toss the stud service contract part.  The health fact
    sheet is filled out by the vet, and then there is a section that is
    completed by the owner.  A lot of it will not apply to a boarding type
    situation, so weed that stuff out.  But, it will give you a very good
    idea of what types of illnesses you should screen for, and what types
    of vaccines you should require.
    
    I would require a negative Felv *test* but I would not require the
    vaccines if I were running a boarding facility.  This is just my
    opinion.
    
    Listen, I am in a class today, so my time is limited.  I have to run
    now but I have more information for you.  Will try and log in again
    later to continue this.
    
    Jo

    I'm back for a minute.
    
    I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that if you bring in
    outside cats to your home that you keep them isolated from your own
    cats, and from the cat's of other owners.
    
    Each household has it's own germ/virus/bacteria environment.  The
    animals living in that home have built up an immunity to that
    combination of flora and fauna.  When an a new cat enters the
    environment, it bring with it it's own flora and fauna.  So, all the
    cats are exposed to germs/viruses/bacterias that they have not built
    immunity to.  They all become exposed.  
    
    Now, when you have cats being thrown together that do not know each
    other well, you create a stress situation for them.  Stress can lower
    immunity.  So, you end up with a situation in which all the cats are at
    their most susceptible to illness.
    
    Gotta run
    
    Jo

Another thing to remember is that the FeLV tests only tell  you that the cat
was negative/positive AT THE TIME OF TESTING.  If the cats are indoor/outdoor
kitties, they can leave the vet's office, go outside and encounter the virus.  

Also, the FeLV vaccines are not 100% guaranteed to protect the cat from the 
virus, so just because the cat gets the shots, doesn't mean they're harmless.

As added precautions, you need to be sure to disinfect all cat utensils 
appropriately. Be careful when you feed or clean litter boxes! 

    I just sent the health fact sheet to you on wffooff::hills.  I sent it
    from allin1 and I am not sure I used the right command, but let me know
    if you don't have it when you come in tomorrow and I can try again.
    
    In any boarding facility, the disinfectant used should be 1 part bleach
    to 32 parts water.  All litter pans, food and water bowls, and any
    other utensils that come into contact with the animals must be
    disinfected between uses and between animals, including the care takers
    hands.  All bedding must be washed and disinfected too.  This is the
    reason that most boarding catteries have non-porous kennels and cages
    to keep the cats in.  I am also pretty sure that if you open a boarding
    cattery, there will be certain local laws that must be abided by
    pertaining to the types of enclosures that can be used.  In other
    words, I don't think that you can go into business and let the cats run
    loose in your house.
    
    Back to class once again.  :^)
    
    Jo

       I'm in agreement basically with everything that has beeen presented
    here....BUT!!!!!!!!!!
    
    
       I had a kitten that we raised fro a teeny baby to adulthood...she
    tested NEGATIVE for FeLV every year, was given the 2-shot immunization, 
    and was the ONLY cat in our house...NOT allowed outside... When she was
    4 years old, she contracted this awful disease and was gone in 5 days!
    The Vets at Tufts believe that she had this virus in her bone-marrow,
    that it had been transferred to her by her mother while she was still a
    fetus, and this sort of FeLV is NOT detectable in a standard blood
    test.
    
      We CURRENTLY hat 5 cats. 2 of them test POSITIVE for FeLV, and all 5 
    have been immunized. According to Tufts and out Vet, if the
    immunization TAKES EFFECT, even exposure to a cat with the disease will
    not cause the immunized animal to get it. However...around 10% or more
    of cats given the immunization DO NOT become immune to the disease. It
    is no possible under current technological status to discover which
    cats are and are not immunized...the only way you can ever know is if
    an immunized animal contracts the disease...and then it's too late.
     Tufts also told me that they believe that in some cases by giving the
    immunization to a positively tested animal, it somehow activates the
    cat's internal immune system, and the virus is killed/rejected. The cat
    will then test negative.
    
      We've had our "pos's" living with our "neg's" now for 6 years...and
    all are healthy and lively...
    
    
      I agree though, with all the former input...
    
    JM

    Joh, I can relate to what you're saying.  I don't immunize my cats
    against FeLV because I personally don't believe in the effectiveness of
    the vaccine.  But, I know lots of folks who have, and their cat has
    still come down with the virus.
    
    Because .0 will be boarding other people's cats it is critical that she
    follow the advice heeded by Jo and the others.  I think I know what you
    mean, though, John:  No matter how much we take precautions and
    vaccinate, etc., things can still happen that we never expected would
    have.
    
    --Roberta
    

    Roberta, your last sentence, and John's example is exactly why all cats
    that come into a boarding facility must be isolated from the facilities
    cats, and other clients cats.  You just never know what might happen.
    
    Also, it seems that in these times of lawsuits and such, if a cat was
    to develop a fatal disease and the conditions weren't right at the
    boarding facility, the owner might find themselves in court.
    
    Best to protect the cats, and CYA.
    
    Jo