Takayuki wrote:

I don't know much about FeLV and FIV, but I'm wondering whether cats
that test positive for these can usually get adopted, and who adopts
them? Also, how long do they typically live?

Our rescue group will actively try and home FIV cats to indoor-only
homes with no other cats who are willing to take them on, and with good
care an FIV cat can live a long life - 12+ years if lucky. I know of two
personally that have lived full and happy lives and you would never know
they had the virus.

We have homed FeLV cats as well - I once had two adult FeLV cats we
homed to an indoor-only home with no other cats, but there is no
guarantee how long they will live, it can be as little as 6 months, or
can be several years. As others have said it is a peculiar disease in
terms of infectiousness. My friends adopted a 5 month old kitten who
then tested positive for FeLV. He is still alive and in great health 6
years later, and was negative when they retested him a few months later.
I had a rescue semi-feral called Wonky who came from a 'house of horror'
where 50 cats had bred unchecked for years and there was an indoor feral
colony going on. The human occupants never, ever cleaned - or emptied
rubbish, litter trays etc. Think of the worst situation and then triple
it. Anyway the group took all the cats and kittens from the house and
began spaying/neutering them and testing. About one-third of the cats
had FeLV. Wonky was tested and was clear. So it doesn't automatically
spread, but you'd never take a chance and mix them knowingly, even with
the vaccination as it's only 70% effective.

Deb.
--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield