The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria hopes to share a wide variety of viewpoints from all of our community through this blog, and today we are pleased to share a guest post written by one of our amazing volunteers.

I’m sitting on the floor of a nearly empty room, aside from a few cat beds and water bowls, formerly used as a staff office at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA)  shelter thinking about what wonderful creatures cats are. My two companions are doing their best to reinforce that notion. Friendly, a large black cat, has propped his chin on my right leg and is gazing up at me with an expectant “please pet me” look.  To my left, Sweetie, a long-haired, brown tabby with extra-soft fur, is sitting beside me and purring. The two cats have positioned themselves so that I can pet both of them at the same time, and I’m taking this opportunity on a relatively quiet weekend morning to get some personal cat therapy before the shelter opens to the public for adoptions.  It’s been a long week, and these two aptly named cats are the perfect antidote.

On this particular morning, I’ve already spent a couple of hours working with cats that are not quite ready for adoption.  Many of these cats just came to the AWLA, and staff and volunteers spend lots of time with them, helping them to feel more comfortable and social in preparation for meeting their future families.  For the past few weeks, I’ve tried to end my volunteer sessions with a trip to where Friendly and Sweetie used to reside in a special staff office, so I know that the morning will end on a positive note. We cat volunteers love all of the cats, but sometimes a particular cat becomes extra special to you, and Friendly and Sweetie are certainly my “cats of the moment.”

As much as I love visiting Friendly and Sweetie, my hope is that I won’t see them again at the shelter. Why?  Because I want both of them to be adopted, to find a home and a family. It’s a bittersweet feeling for all volunteers and staff at the shelter: your biggest wish is to never again see the animals you love and support.

When I volunteer in the cat adoption room, I mention Friendly and Sweetie to potential adopters, but there tends to be a lot of questions.  I talk about their sweet, easygoing personalities, but many people are reluctant to consider adopting the cats because both are FIV positive.  I understand people’s concerns, because it sounds like a scary disease; it’s essentially the feline equivalent of the HIV virus in humans. I’ve come to learn more about Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), however, and have discovered that it’s not as frightening as it sounds.

First, FIV cannot be transmitted to people or non-feline animals.  Even transmission to other cats is rare and usually only happens with a deep bite.  In fact, the cats most likely to get the disease are unneutered male stray cats who are prone to getting into fights.  It is quite possible for an FIV positive cat and an FIV negative cat to live together in the same household for years with the FIV negative cat remaining free of the disease, and while neither Friendly nor Sweetie shows a tendency to bite, AWLA recommends that both cats go to homes either with no other cats or with cats that also are FIV positive.  For these reasons, FIV positive cats should be indoor-only cats, which AWLA strongly recommends for cats anyway.

The second thing I’ve learned is that FIV positive cats can live full and fulfilling lives.  While they may have a weaker immune system, many of them lead normal lives with a typical lifespan, though they may be  more prone to infection, especially upper respiratory infections and dental disease. Because of that, FIV positive cats should be examined by a veterinarian twice a year.  While it is quite possible for FIV positive cats to be symptom-free for years, it’s best to keep a close watch and to make sure that the cat sees a veterinarian regularly. Neither Friendly nor Sweetie shows any signs of the disease right now, and, as both cats’ online profiles say, “The little extra you’ll have to do to help [them] stay healthy is a very small price to pay for the joy [they’ll] bring to your home.”

Right now, Friendly’s best friend is Sweetie, and they still share an enclosure in the cat adoptions room.  Although the AWLA is not requiring that both cats be adopted by the same family, we think they could continue to thrive in a home together.  When Friendly first arrived at the shelter, he was not the happy, confident cat that he is today. I’m told that the staff named him Friendly more as a hopeful wish than an accurate description of his personality at the time.  A lot of time with AWLA staff and volunteers, as well as Sweetie’s positive influence, have helped Friendly transform into the truly amiable cat that he is now. The two cats have become great buddies; Friendly grooms Sweetie, and Sweetie cuddles Friendly.  They have grown a lot together, and I can’t wait to hear their stories once they find their new homes, whether individually or together.

Thanks to generous donors, both Friendly and Sweetie’s adoption fees have been paid through our Adopt It Forward program.  If you are interested in learning more or adopting one or both cats, please contact the AWLA’s Adoptions team at adoptions@alexandriaanimals.org or 703-746-4774 or stop by to meet two of our sweetest, friendliest feline friends.

Yes, they really are this Friendly and Sweet!

To learn more about Feline Imunodeficiency Virus (FIV), read HERE.

Thank you to our amazing guest blog volunteer and all of our volunteers who spend hours each week working to find Alexandria’s Animals homes.  To learn more about volunteer opportunities at the shelter, click HERE.