We found a 4 week old kitten who has feline aids and I had her put to sleep. Did I do the right thing?

We found a 4 week old kitten. I had her teseted and was told she had feline aids and the possibilty she would test positive again in 6 months. I had her put to sleep before I did the research. I feel like I've done the wrong thing and am having a hard time dealing with this. Please help me.

I think my main thought was I didn't want her to suffer and keep her in a cage. I know what AIDS does to a person let alone a little kitten. The other reason was that I have a 4 year old cat and her safety was my concern as well. I know that it is a little late to think about it now but we as people second guess ourselves and I have been a nervous wreck and in tears since yesterday. Does anyone know if there would have been a possibility that she would have tested negative in 6 months? My vet had told me that there was a 25% chance she would test negative and a 75% chance that she would test positive. I was also looking at that as well.

The poor little baby wasn't even given a fighting chance at life. Sadly, you did the right thing though, I'm sure it wasn't easy on you. If she was an only indoor cat though, it would have been fine but if you didn't want to or couldn't take the time to make sure she got the care she needed, there wasn't anything else that could have been done. I'm sorry that you had to make that sort of decision.

A lot of cats can live a long happy life with feline aids... you just need to make sure you don't have other cats around who could get it...... as far as putting the cat to sleep, if she was in bad shape or in pain you did the right thing...

You did the right thing. She would have suffered and that isn't fair to her or you. Although the cat might have lived a long life, it would have gotten a number of secondary diseases that would have just been horrible. It shuts down their immune system. You did the right thing!

Like others have said, the kitty is no longer suffering so putting it down was the right thing.

Probably.

You did the right thing you stopped the suffering and high medical bills ...

It was either that or let her suffer

a little late for that now don't you think? I'm sure you did the right thing though

You did the right thing, i would have done the same.

Either let her suffer or put the cat down. So u did the right thing.

She was probably born with it from an infected mother.

Actually cats with FIV if kept as indoors cats and provided proper health care can live very long lives. But if you didn't want to hand raise a kitten and keep inside all the time as an only cat, then there were probably few options for this little one.

People are afraid of this disease but the cats often live long lives and they are no risk to humans. They just can't go outside or be around other cats that they may fight or mate with, thus spreading the disease. My friend's cat lived to be age 17 and she had it her whole life.

EDIT - To others - the kitten was not necessarily suffering - the disease itself has few or no symptoms and the only problem is the immune system is compromised and the cat must be protected from secondary infections. If the kitten was otherwise healthy, it was just FIV+. The risk however was to the asker's other cat.

I'm so sorry you had to do that Sweetie, I know it must have been a hard decision for you. I had a cat once with FIV and with the right treatment they can live long happy lives, but it can get rather expensive. Plus, if you have other cats and they are not vaccinated they can also get it. So I can't say you did the right thing or not, but at least she is at peace and running through the gardens with God now, so don't beat yourself up over this. Sometimes life does not give us a fair shake so to speak. But you kept your other baby safe so please don't let this affect you to much. She is in a better place now than she was, bless her little kitty heart

It is possible for a young kitten to test positive for FIV and not actually have it that is the reason for the retesting when they get older. I have a friend who bottle raised 2 abandoned kittens who both tested positive for FIV and later tested negative. Cats who do have FIV can live months and years with no outward signs of the disease and can ultimatly be euthanized when the need arrises to prevent suffering. However that said if you were unable to keep the kitten isolated or turn it over to someone who could then that is a decision only you can make to determine if you want to risk exposure of your cat if she was not vacinated . While it is only passed through mating or biting there is always a risk of the kitten biting your cat or your cat biting it passing any possilbe infection.

Not to long ago I found a 6 mo. old kitten with female Leukemia and had to put her down. I was so upset because she had been dumped in the park, probably because her owners found out. It is a really hard thing to have to do, I cried for almost the whole day, I was so sad and angry, I couldn't help myself. Just hang in there, eventually it will get easier and you will realize that you did the only thing you could do besides let her suffer.

I think the decision you made was very humane, and I don't think you need to agonize over what's been done.

I am such a huge animal lover, and cats are my favorite creatures. I think each one is sooo worthy, so fascating, so individual--and I am very pragmatic about their lives and their deaths. The 4 week old kitten was failed by whatever human let the mother and the kittens come to their health disasters. That's the person who should feel bad, not you. These animals are not wild animals, but have been bred to be domestic companion animals, and somewhere along the line a human failed in the implied obligation that comes with domesticating these animals.

Your continued sadness and worry about what you did tells me that you are a caring person. Don't lose that, ever, and make decisions that need to be made on behalf of these companions, then move on. You certainly saved the animal needless suffering, and at least you know how it ended (peacefully). You're a good and responsible person, in my book.

Best regards.