News Briefs for the Week of November 4, 2002
By Marcella Durand for Cat Facts
- Bad Cat, Good Cat
A cat in Luedenhausen, Germany, more than made up for her mistakes when she accidentally set her house on fire, but then woke her family so they could get out safely.
This particular kitty, a black-and-white cat named Mimi, was amusing herself at night by playing in the kitchen. Somehow she turned on the electric oven, which caused a nearby pile of papers to catch fire. Fast-thinking (but clumsy-footed) Mimi woke up her family by loudly squalling and pushing heavy objects to the floor. Says a police spokesperson, "Mimi saved the family. There would have been a major fire had she not raised the alarm."
- Questions Arise Over FIV Vaccine
Way back on April 7th, we reported that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) had approved the first commercial vaccine for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Perhaps not so unexpectedly, concerned cat-lovers and veterinarians have had many questions about it, so much so that the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has decided to release an FIV Vaccine Brief.
The brief, which is available online at www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/nov02/021101b.asp, answers many of these questions. One of the concerns most often raised is how vaccination affects a cat's FIV test results. "Veterinarians just did not realize that cats that were vaccinated would test positive for [the FIV] antibody," says James Richards, DVM, the director of the Cornell Feline Health Center and an AAFP board member. The manufacturer of the diagnostic test, IDEXX Laboratories, says it is now looking into ways to differentiate test results between vaccinated cats and cats with FIV.
Another concern is that the vaccine may not protect against all types of FIV. More research is needed before this question can be resolved
What does this mean for cat owners? If, after careful consultation with your veterinarian, you decide to vaccinate your cat against FIV, you should also be deciding to keep her for life. If she ends up in a shelter, she could mistakenly test positive for FIV and be euthanized -- or at least be much harder to place.
|
