It attacks and weakens the body s immune system , making the animal susceptible to infections and diseases that don't affect healthy cats. Though eventually fatal, an FIV-positive cat can live for many years without any signs of illness. FIV is a lentivirus, a virus that causes slowly developing disease. Prevalence FIV occurs worldwide and its prevalence varies geographically.
Older cats are more likely to be infected.
The average age of cats with FIV is 5 years at the time of diagnosis. Free-roaming cats are more likely to be infected than indoor cats. Aggressive, male cats that roam and fight with other cats are more likely to be infected than females and nonaggressive males. Transmission FIV is transmitted primarily through deep, penetrating bite wounds . A mother cat may transmit the virus to her newborn kittens during gestation, passage through the birth canal , or nursing .