♦ ♦ FIV Showcase ♦ ♦

This sweet little man earned his name when he was first trapped, as he originally hid in the basement. Now you see him now you don't! I knew where he was as he would softly meow to me. He was sweet from the start. Houdini was rescued from a local farm where the cats were not being fed.

Houdini has tested positive for FIV. FIV can only be transmitted to other cats through a bad bite or scratch, and this sweet little boy would not hurt anything. He loves to be held and just purrs away.

Won't you please give Houdini the forever home he deserves? Houdini's estimated date of birth is March 2007.

This handsome light orange cat is a lucky guy! He was surrendered to a Berks County kill shelter and when he was next on the list to be killed, he was saved by a Berks County rescue. They asked Stray Cat Blues to consider fostering this cat because we are able to get FIV positive cats adopted. Most of our adopters are aware that FIV cats can live just as long as any other cat.

While in his temporary foster home, his foster mom has found out that he loves to be petted and is most definitely a lap cat. He follows her around the house everywhere! He is very playful and does like to give love bites occasionally. He enjoys playing with toys and just generally running around the house. Julius also likes to come up on your chest and hug you.

He is easy-going and easy to work with. Julius was well-behaved for his bath and getting his nails trimmed. He is also very nice around the other FIV cats in the walk-in cage in foster care.

At some time in his life, he suffered from a very bad upper respiratory infection which has left him with an eye that tears a lot. Just simply wipe his face once a day. Adding L-Lysine to his food would be beneficial. This inexpensive supplement can be purchased in any drug or grocery store. Break the 500 mg pill in half and grind up half in the morning and half in the evening. Sprinkle on canned food, and Julius will quickly eat it.

All vet work is completed; Julius is approximately 3-4 years old.

The lady who found me named me Star. I’m a sweet young female calico, only about 2 years old, smaller sized, about 12 pounds. But they say because I’m not a kitten, no one will want me. That doesn’t seem fair, does it?

I think I’d be a great companion, for someone who’d like a loving, purring, slightly shy (at first) little girlfriend who doesn’t have all the demands, or need all the training and effort a kitten does. I come when you call. I purr and let you rub me.

I was found behind a Starbucks store; that’s why the lady named me Star. I was a pet somebody lost, or dumped.

PLEASE ADOPT ME AND TAKE ME HOME WITH YOU!!! I PROMISE TO BE THE BEST KITTY EVER IF YOU JUST GIVE ME A CHANCE!

Star bears the scars of a tough outside life. She has a short tail, the result of a previous injury that is now healed. She is a very sweet girl, but is a dominant cat (that’s how you compete for scarce food outside). She needs to be adopted into a home as an only cat.

Torri is a little gem of a calico. She was found as a near starved stray in Quakertown. She was in heat, had a bad case of ear mites and a deep, ulcerated wound on her foreleg. Torri tested positive for FIV.

Torri is outgoing and sweet-tempered. She behaves as though the world is a friendly place despite her past hardships and still trusts easily. She loves pets and pushes her head into your hand to get your attention so you will pick her up and let her know how she is very special.

Her estimated date of birth is January, 2009.

Tux is a handsome long haired BIG male cat who has been living as a stray in an apartment complex in Harleysville. He was trapped and proved to be very sweet. Since the residents of this apartment complex are not allowed to own pets, many get released outside resulting in a large stray cat population of one time pets. Tux tested FIV+.

Our newest FIV+ rescue! Bugsy was severely injured, probably from being hit by a car. By some miracle, he showed up right on the doorstep of the home of our FIV+ cat foster mom, Linda. He desperately needed vet care. And of course Linda jumped right in to take care of him.

WANT MORE INFORMATION ON FIV? CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS

Cornell Feline Health
Wikipedia Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
Best Friends Animal Society - FIV: Catching a Bad Case of the Rumors FIV Fact Sheet

SO, ARE YOU SAYING TO YOURSELF - I'M ALMOST SOLD, BUT WHAT IS IT REALLY LIKE LIVING WITH A FIV+ CAT? READ ON...

The following are actual comments from people just like you who have adopted FIV+ cats from Stray Cat Blues -

CLANCEY
CLANCEY was roaming the streets of Schwenksville when a family took pity on him and brought him in from the cold January weather. They fell in love with him but their resident cat really resented the feline intrusion. So they contacted Stray Cat Blues for help.

Clancey's adopter -
"Clancey seems quite happy, especially by the window seat I have in the room that he can sit and bask in the sun, or watch the hummingbirds fly by." - Brian

Clancey and his owner recently moved to San Francisco, and Clancey is doing great!

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JIMMI-BETH AND JORGE
JIMMI-BETH was a stray that followed people around the neighborhood. People in the neighborhood wanted her to have a real home with the cold weather approaching. JORGE was a thin stray when he was trapped. He had a flea collar on, so must have once been someone's pet who was either lost or abandoned.

Jimmi-Beth and Jorge's adopter -
"We've had Jimmi-Beth and Jorge (George) for well over a year now and love them both dearly. They have become such a wonderful part of our family. Their FIV status is hardly noticed as they are extremely healthy and happy cats." - Patty

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QUINCY AND KIT CARSON
KIT CARSON was living outside a development and the people would have liked to bring him in, but he turned out to be FIV positive, and they were too scared to have him mix with their cats. :-( Kit could get along with anyone. QUINCY was pulled from the SPCA by another rescue group. They asked Stray Cat Blues to take him when he tested FIV+ because none of their foster homes were willing to take him in. When he came to Stray Cat Blues he was promptly adopted!

Quincy and KitCarson's adopter -
"Thank you so much for taking the time to get the word out about FIV+ cats. I have had wonderful luck with mine, all but one, living long happy lives. I have 5 FIV+'s. All but one came from SCBI (Stray Cat Blues Inc.)." - Kat

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TAPESTRY
The vet at an area SPCA contacted Stray Cat Blues asking us to take TAPESTRY. He said that she was way too nice to euthanize. (The SPCAs have very little luck placing cats known to be FIV+. In shelters, FIV+ cats are routinely euthanized.)

Tapestry's adopter -
"The FIV cat I adopted was a sweet little girl. Sadly I had to put her to sleep a few months ago. Sorry I can't give you a happy story." - Veronica

We won't kid you. Not all FIV+ cats are going to live into their teens. While not a long story, Tapestry did have a "happy" story - She was adopted into a home where she was safe and loved.

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MURPHY
Murphy was a stray cat running around the Hilltown Shopping Center when he was rescued.

Murphy's adopter -
"I adore Murphy... he is very gentle and very loving. He gets along well with my other cats, which include a new litter of kittens. He is a pleasure." - Melissa

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ELLIE
Sadly, ELLIE is no longer with us. Ellie was rescued in 2002 from an abandoned farm when she was approximately 5-6 years old. She was a gentle loving cat who loved attention and being held. Ellie's adopter, Diana, has since continued to adopt other FIV+ cats.

Ellie's adopter -
"I have adopted 5 FIV+ kitties (3 are still with me, Jaspurr after 8 years) (I am also fostering 3 non-FIV+ kitties and all 6 live together freely, although I took a long time introducing them.) With Homer, my first FIV+ kitty, after the unexpected test results, the vet initially recommended euthanizing him, which was the standard reco in January 2000; the vet had no prior experience with FIV+ cats. Now the veterinary practice has 35+ FIV+ patients, so we have been learning together." Diana

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BAHATI
BAHATI was born on a dairy farm in Barto. While conducting a Trap Neuter Return project at the farm, Bahati was taken to the vet, and it was determined that she had been stepped on by a cow! She had a collapsed lung, broken ribs and a severely fractured leg. We considered euthanizing her. However, her injuries were all fixable, and she was so sweet and she was a survivor.

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