Hi There,



I am so very sorry for your loss. What a heartbreaker.



Unfortunately it is impossible to say for sure what happened to your kitten. It takes a blood test to determine if a cat has FeLV. The symptoms you described could cover either possibility.



However, the fact that your kitty was fine until the flea collar was put on her makes me suspicious that it was toxic. Most over-the-counter flea products are dangerous for cats, especially kittens. Constant exposure to the toxins would cause the cat to become more and more ill. Many cats have died from these flea products. Flea collars can be especially toxic because they continue to give off poison, which doesn't kill fleas, BTW. The collars are useless.



Please take the flea collars off all of your cats. If they do have fleas, your vet can sell you something that will be safe and effective.



Now, some info on FeLV. Yes, a cat with the disease can appear totally healthy for a time and go downhill in a matter of days. They can even appear healthy for 2 - 3 years before they become ill from the virus. But it will always happen. The "good" news is that adult cats have some immunity from FeLV and will not necessarily come down with the virus if exposed to it. Many, many cats are able to fight it off totally. A few will become "healthy carriers" if exposed, able to pass on FeLV to other cats even though they appear healthy. It's supposed to be a small number that actually come down with the disease.



I know how easy it is to take a stray into your home. I have done it myself without testing beforehand in the past. But now I work as a tech in a cat hospital and am very aware of the dangers. No cat or kitten comes into my home unless they are FeLV negative.



As far as feline AIDS, most vets do not recommend testing kittens for the disease anyway. This is because if they are positive, the test may only be picking up on antibodies that the mother has. A kitten pisitive for AIDS would have to be re-tested when they are older for an accurate result. I highly doubt that this kitten had feline AIDS anyway. You wouldn't be likely to see such an acute onset of symptoms.



Please take care, and let us know the results when you have your cats tested.



Regards,

AshleyElla

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