Although there is no known cure for FeLV, supportive care, including good nutrition, minimization of stress and prompt treatment of illness, can improve the health of and prolong the life of FeLV-infected cats. There are also several new treatments, known as immunotherapies, that apparently boost an infected cat's weakened immune system. Unlike FeLV, FIV does not cause cancer and is in the lentivirus subfamily rather than the Oncovirinae family. FIV results in suppression of the cat's immune system, compromising the animal's ability to fight off infection. FIV-infected cats are vulnerable to a wide array of bacteria, viruses and fungi that normally are harmless to a healthy animal.
Evidence suggests that the primary mode of transmission is through bite wounds.
This explains why the cats most likely to become infected are free-roaming, unneutered males prone to territorial fighting. FIV does not appear to spread through casual contact among cats, so it is possible to keep a FIV-infected cat in the same household as a healthy cat with little risk of transmission, provided the cats tolerate each other and are not fighting. It is important to note that kittens are unlikely to acquire FIV from an infected queen, either through in utero transmission, maternal grooming or nursing. Progression of the virus After initial infection, the virus spreads to the cat's lymph nodes, causing them to become enlarged. The cat may develop a fever that lasts for several days and may experience a drop in the white blood cell count.