Description:
DOB appx August 2008. FeLV+. DMH cream & blue classic tabby polydactyl, neutered male. Has a cute little light tip at the end of his tail, you can see it in the picture where he is looking at the camera. He also has white toes on his left hind foot and some white on his chest. He is very playful and loves tummy rubs.

Alexander was found 3/24/09 dumped at a phone company location in Cocoa (so of course we named him after Alexander Graham Bell!!!).

He doesn't even hiss at other cats, he's what we call a drop-in, would get along with everyone. His adult teeth are very white and shiny with no stains and his fangs are not quite grown in all the way so we estimated his age at about 8 months in March 2009.

The 2nd picture shows his paw and how big his feet are - he will probably grow to be a large kitty.

He has tested POSITIVE for Feline Leukemia. We even did a second test (called an IFA) for a whopping $68, and we are totally bummed because he is positive at the blood cell level too. That cinches it.  Sometimes they are negative at cell level and that test is the king of all tests.

FELV is very, very, VERY difficult to transmit. We could send him to a home with other cats if they have the vaccine. He probably got it from his mom. Despite what your vet may have told you 10 to 20 years ago, more research has been done and this disease is not the huge problem originally thought.  It is VERY hard to transmit and the vaccine works quite well.

Dogs and humans cannot catch this disease, it is FeLV (The "Fe" stands for FELINE so that means it is limited to cats).

The only downside to this disease is, being in a shelter environment, his life expectancy is about 1-2 yrs due to the "revolving door" cats and the exposure to viruses, etc.  In a private home, the average lifespan can go from 7 to 12 years.  So we need a home for him, quickly...

Everyone usually asks (or maybe doesn't out of politeness) about how much it costs to treat a FeLV cat.  Answer: not as much as your other cats...!!  As for the disease, it will usually manifest in a fast growing tumor that will be inoperable. An exam and xrays and possibly some bloodwork are about all you can do.  Having been through several kitty diseases, I personally believe "fast" is better. Better on the cat, better on the owner, less stress overall anyway.  I've done the 3-month turmoil of rushing a cat to the vet every week and doing all sorts of therapy at home to make the kitty comfortable. In Alexander's case, there is rarely anything which can be done when the tumor starts making him "symptomatic", so it would most likely be quick as in a matter of weeks, if that. And sometimes the vet will recommend a decision be made very quickly - within days.

One thing cats do is "hide" their sickness as long as they can, so you wouldn't notice until they start showing outward signs (lousy coat / not eating well / hiding / major personality change).  This is called "being symptomatic". Cats hide their sickness because in the animal kingdom, this is a survival trait - if you are weak you become prey, basically.  

So, if you adopt a special needs cat, like Alexander, you would need to let your vet know so they have a file on hand for when things go downhill. We always recommend being proactive like that.

Please help and spread the word about Alexander. We would much rather him have a good 7 years than the 1-2 he will have here.

Contact Mona at meowmail1@gmail.com.