The doctor, concerned about Dot passing the disease on to others, recommended euthanasia. Whether veterinarians suggest euthanasia for a cat with FIV or feline leukemia depends on the situation. First, it's important to retest the cat. The typical FIV test, for example, searches for antibodies-which kittens can get from their mother. It doesn't necessarily mean an infection.
Feline leukemia is highly contagious.
It spreads through contact with bodily fluids-two cats that share a food bowl, or groom each other, or just touch noses through a screen door can infect each other. Always get a secondary test done at a specialty lab. With FIV, the survival chances are better. FIV-positive cats can live long lives, veterinarians said. And as long as they don't fight with the other cats in the house, there's little chance of transmission.