I call on the RCVS to ensure all vets and veterinary staff are formally educated in detail about FIV in cats. This would include up to date studies and findings so they have a true picture of how well cats with FIV actually do and not put them to sleep simply based on a positive result.

For anyone who doesn't know what FIV is: it is feline immunodeficiency virus. It's is similar to HIV in humans NOT feline AIDS as some people refer to it as!

If a cat has FIV, their immune system doesn't work as well as cats without FIV. This means they will be more prone to infections as their immune system cannot fight them off itself. 

With proper care and an owner who understands FIV, these cats will go years without any infections and you wouldn't know the difference. Personally my FIV cat Thomas stays indoors and is not allowed to roam as I do not want him picking up infections from unvaccinated cats or anything that may be on the floor. He has however, got a custom built enclosure with ramps, scratch pads and a kennel so he can access the outdoors in a controlled clean environment. 

One of my non FIV cats has actually had more infections that my FIV cat! If a human has HIV he is not put to sleep because it's a manageable disease and is not highly infectious! Putting a human with HIV down would be inhumane and wrong, so why is it acceptable to do to a cat? 

Currently, most vets will put a cat to sleep if a test for FIV comes back positive. They give advice to cat owners which is untrue. They often tell pet owners that FIV is 'highly contagious' and that they cannot live with cats without FIV, when in fact the transmission rate of FIV between cats in the same household is 1-2% and is only spread by deep penetrating bite wounds. FIV cats and non-FIV cats can live together, the virus is not spread casually through shared bowls, litter trays or grooming.

They also tell pet owners that cats with FIV will have a shortened life span. This is simply untrue. Studies have shown that FIV cats live as long as cats without FIV and are more likely to die from a road traffic accident or old age. 

Many cats are put to sleep due to vets and veterinary staff not being educated on the facts and risks of FIV. If it was compulsory to do formal training on FIV many cats lives could be saved as pet owners would be informed with facts, not fiction. 

FIV cats live long and happy lives and can live alongside cats without FIV

Please stop these cats from being uneccesarily put to sleep due to an FIV diagnosis!