I currently have 28 cats. During the past week, the youngest, not quite 1 year old, began showing signs of feline leukemia, that is, inflamed gums, lethargy, a slight stagger in her walk, but she still has a good appetite. I have not seen her using the litter box, so I cannot tell how her bodily functions are looking. If she has FelV, she has probably infected the rest of my cat family, so what is the point of having anybody tested? Should I just let nature take its course? I cannot possibly have all 28 cats tested, it is all I can do to provide normal shots and medical care along with food. We have taken in many abandoned cats over the years and have only once had an FelV cat come into our home. Several of the older, ailing cats ended up dying within a few months after the leukemia cat, but most survived. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all of them, and I do the best I can on a minimum wage job, but my choices are very limited. My little one currently ill, is the only survivor of a litter of 6 born to a feral mom. She was the runt, and mom did not want to feed her. I hand raised this one, so this is my baby that is facing the possibility of leukemia. She has always been sickly, (respiratory infections) and has had more doses of antibiotics than any other cat I have. She was starting to look great, act lively and playful, and grow bigger and I was so encouraged, but now my hopes have been destroyed. Any input on how to handle this potentially devistating situation would be appreciated.
