I have just found out that my cat "MAY" have FIV.?

From what I've researched so far, it's unlikely that my other cats can catch it unless they are fighting. This disease is pretty much the feline HIV. My question is this- will shareing food and water dishes increase the chance of infection in our other 2 cats? I've read that we should quarrantee the infected cat but that is no possible. If there is someone who is actually qualified to answer this please let me know.

Another person just asked this question a few minutes ago, you may want to look it up for all the responses, but here is mine.

While I have never personally owned an FIV positive kitty, I have seen many where I work. And basically it comes down to you weighing the options and risks and deciding whats best for kitty and his furry family. Yes, there is a possibility, albeit small, that your vaccinated cats could still contract FIV, and yes even if all are indoors, there is still a risk of a human in your house carrying in contagious kitty illnesses on their shoes or clothes, thus putting all the cats at risk, but putting the FIV one at higher risk. Its your vets responsibility to advise you of the best medical recommendation, which technically speaking is complete isolation. But thats not always realistic for an owner. If you do chose to not isolate, I would use a couple of precautions. One, use seperate feeding dishes for the FIV kitty, if you need to feed them all separately and pick up the dishes when done. Two, watch for any signs of illness vigilantly and treat as soon as possible. The general rule for FIV cats is that they should be treated sooner, longer and more aggresively (i.e. stronger antibiotics etc) than a normal cat. If one of the other cats becomes ill (with something contagious like upper respiratory infection) treat the FIV cat even if he's not showing symptoms.

Your vet is qualified to answer this and that's where you should go first. No reason having this conversation until you have the test done to determine if your cat has FIV or not.

Here is my posting to an earlier question about FIV:

In 2000, I began feeding 2 stray cats in my neighborhood. One was a tom cat and the other was a female. After making up to them, I had each tested for leukemia & when those tests came back negative, I had each of them neutered/spayed. These two cats shared feeding bowls and a litter box as well as living quarters for 7 years. It wasn't until 2007 when I began noticing the male cat was having difficulty eating & it turned out his teeth were getting infected. To make a long story short, the vet suspected FIV & he was tested at that time and came back positive. Of course I was in a panic, thinking the female cat was probably going to be positive too. I had her tested. Guess what? She was negative. I never had her vaccinated against FIV & I didn't get her vaccinated after I found out the male was positive because I figured if she lived 7 years w/the infected cat & never got FIV, then she wasn't going to get it. Ultimately, the male cat passed away from complications due to FIV. My vet and I are convinced the male cat was FIV + when I took him in in 2000 but back then there wasn't a reliable test for FIV. As I mentioned earlier, when I began feeding him, he was a tom cat and he was a fighting tom cat then. He used to come in to eat literally w/chunks out of his flesh from horrible fights. After I got him neutered in 2000, he never fought again & turned into a very mellow, loving guy. The male cat lived a very good life for those 7 years & never infected the female even though they shared a litter box, living quarters and food & water dishes. My cats never fought w/each other. They weren't best friends, sharing a bed or anything, but they certainly lived in close quarters w/each other. I suggest you educate yourself about this disease. I think your vet is giving you incorrect information or not giving you all the facts. Here is an article on FIV:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...

Here is another article that confirms FIV can only be transmitted through deep penetrating bite wounds:

http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/fiv/i...

You will see these articles debunk the theory that FIV is transmitted by close contact. It is not. If your cats get into knockdown/drag out fights, causing bite wounds to each other, then I would say you want to keep them separated. If they all co-exist in peace, then I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Your FIV + cat can live a long and full life. Good luck.