A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall The Critter Corner Butterscotch part 2

Tomorrow is the day!!!
We are taking Butterscotch to get his retest for feline leukemia and aides, and as long as both are negative he can come out of the small room he's been in since the middle of May!!!

He has become so affectionate, and just craves attention. We can now pick him up and hold him standing, though he still doesn't know what to do with his limbs when we sit in the chair holding him in our laps. He is the most uncoordinated cat I've ever met. And I truly believe he has a fear of heights! He has never jumped up onto the low dresser that is in the room, nor would he jump down from it when Brian placed him on top today.

I am going to ask the vet about that tomorrow when Butterscotch gets his blood tested. I also want him to be weighed - I think he's gained the 5 lbs. that poor Oliver has lost! He feels and looks so much heavier than when we first brought him inside, which is understandable since he no longer runs all over the place outside, and was confined to the small room.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us that the tests come out negative tomorrow? Thanks!

I just KNEW Butterscotch would become a loving friendly kitty!! I am so glad to hear such good news of his progress....OG course I will keep him in my prayers, and I will be waiting to hear the outcome of the test results.... :wink:

lynne, that is awesome. i'm so happy for you and pray the tests come out right!

Lynne,, your family has done well with him,, slow and sure he's gotten used to it all,, and will continue to get used to everything I too am anxious to know the results of the test,

waiting "patiently" ?.......... :wink:

He is FIV positive.

OMG!! I am so sory---so what is next, says the girl who is really scared to ask????

Thanks Carol.


We need to find him a good home. The vet said that most often it is spread by body fluids but mostly by blood, and that is how he got it - from the @$#%$ cat who chewed him up outside. He tested negative when he first went to the vet 3 months ago.

The woman who has been helping us by paying his vet bills was adament once again on the phone about how we can keep him even if he is FIV positive. That it can ONLY be spread by blood - that is not necessarily true, though is the most common way. HOWEVER... the vet (who knows this woman well!) said we should NOT keep him with our other cats. Especially since he is another large MALE cat in the house, with claws. As it is, our cats fight with each other on a daily basis since Brian came home with his 2 with claws.

The bigger problem is that Butterscotch also has the other problems - the paralyzed bladder issue and the urinary tract blockage, and is on prescription food. The FIV in itself is not an issue for someone who would have only 1 cat, or already has a cat that is FIV positive. They can live out normal life spans with it. But finding someone who would take him with these other issues, and the fact that he needs prescription food is the real issue here. The woman told me on the phone yesterday that it would take "MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS to possibly find someone to take him" and how we would have to keep him!!!

Brian said he's pretty sure we could find someone through Craig's list or Petfinders, but that makes me very nervous. I have grown so very attached to him that I cried at the vet's when he told Don and me. Good thing Don was there also. The vet was very understanding - even rubbed my arm out of sympathy.

I have to call a friend of mine - she already has an FIV positive cat, but said that she would never take another cat in. I think she actually might have taken Butterscotch IF he didn't have other special needs. Right now she is in Florida on vacation, so I will have to either text her, or wait til she gets home.

And so he is back in his small room, but wants out, since he got a taste of being outside once again - even if it was in a carrier. He is crying at the door to get out!

I SOOOOOOOOOOOO thought that everything would be great!

I am sorry, Lynne.

Oh Lynne I'm so sorry, I know how greatly disappointed you are.
Praying He will be adopted to a caring family like he has with yours.

OH MY goodness I am so sorry--I will hope that your friend can either help or will know of someone that can help.

i'm so sorry lynne.

Thanks so much everyone!

If you don't mind, I am going to use the space here to collect my research and thoughts. I did a bit of googling FIV this afternoon and found this information which surprises me, as my vet got his degree from Cornell Vet School!

Cornell about FIV

Quote

Positive results

Because few, if any, cats ever eliminate infection, the presence of antibody indicates that a cat is infected with FIV. This test can be performed by most veterinary diagnostic laboratories and also is available in kit form for use in veterinary clinics. Since false-positive results may occur, veterinarians recommend that positive results be confirmed using a test with a different format.

He did NOT mention this to us, nor did he recommend testing him in any other fashion.

wikipedia on FIV

Quote

False positives occur when the cat carries the antibody (which is harmless), but does not carry the actual virus.

The thing about that statement is that he did test negative when they first brought him in 3 months ago, so then do we surmise that he is indeed positive since he now tests positive?

cats.about.com

Quote

The initial test was the ELISA, which tests both for FIV antibodies and FeLV. Since there can be false positives with the ELISA test, an initial positive for FIV is followed up by a laboratory test, such as the Western Blot test, which confirms that antibodies to FIV are present in the blood.

vetinfo.com

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It is a good idea to confirm a positive feline immunodeficiency virus test if it was done using an ELISA test kit at the veterinarian's office. The Western blot test is a good second test to help confirm that FIV is actually present since it tests for several of the virus' antigens rather than just one. If this test is positive, as well, then it is reasonable to assume that infection is present.

I could go on and on with research but they all seem to say the same thing. So now I will have to call tomorrow (if they are even open on Sunday) and find out which test he did, and if he can do a Western Blot test if that is not the one he did today. I just couldn't let it rest, you know? I am too attached to him already.

Great researching. I agree from what you have here that a second test is a good idea. Too many false positives.

exactly----I have been doing a LOT OF READING lately about false positives in tests in general---I say do not let it die here
definatley push--and I think that any Dr should be willing to do a second test

Sorry to hear about all the troubles, Lynne. I would push for that other test too, just to make sure. You've been so good to this cat, I applaud you for that, it's not something I could do. I'm hoping for some good news.

Sorry to hear of Butterscotch.....Thats the one I wanted to hook from you.

Have faith.....Were thinking of you .

dodge

Thanks so much everyone once again for all your support!

And thank you, Joclyn for that link - it pretty much said what all the other sites have said as well.

The vet was not open today, so I will make that call tomorrow morning for sure. In the meantime it's hard for me not to tear up everytime I go into Butterscotch's room to spend time with him. This morning while I was sitting in the chair in there and talking with him and petting him - he does answer back every time with the most unusual sounds coming out of a cat - very gutteral - anyway, he put his front paw gently on top of my bare foot as if to say... "STAY with me!" At that moment I just wanted to keep him in that room forever. But I know that wouldn't be fair to him, to keep him caged in there for the rest of his life. I guess time will tell what is going to happen to him now.

Lynne, this made me teary eyed to read this.
Animals, once they have learned to trust us, they love us unconditionally. He knows how you feel,, :ding: and I know if he could say it he would thank you over and over again. He reaching out placing his paw on your foot says it all :ding:
On behalf of Butterscotch and all of us cat&animal lovers out here we thank you for all you have done for Butterscotch and all that will be done to secure his future in a loving home. You're the Kitty Rescue Hero of the year in My book

[quote=angelblossom] You're the Kitty Rescue Hero of the year in My book [quote]

A BIG second on that one!

best of luck getting that second test. poor butterscotch has been through SO much, now this. I don't even like cats and I have followed butterschotch's story from the beginning. you have been great to him. and he is a little trooper. I'm hoping and praying things will work out.

Lynne I have just finished reading what Diane & Cricket have said. I only wish I were as good with words as they are. However since I am not, I feel I can at least agree completely with their sentiments.--well except that I DO like cats.

Butterscotch is a real sweetie, and so are you.

to you both.

OK you guys... now the tears are just pouring onto the floor after reading all you've written here. Thanks so much again for being a constant support in our journey with Butterscotch. I wish he could know how many fans he has here, and I wish you all could spend some time with him personally - I do tell him all about you all, you know!


Diane - that graphic is PURRRRRRFECT!!!
Of course it made me cry harder, but that was a good cry! Thank you!

I'm sure in some way butterscotch DOES know how many fans he has. and how many people you have shared his story with. animals can feel emotions. call me a crazy quack if you'd like, but I know this to be true.
when I am anxious or nervous my savannah follows me around the house like a shadow. If I get into bed sad/depressed that dog is up there snuggling by my side. and that is the ONLY time that dog will sleep with anyone in this entire house. I don't see that behavior in the other two dogs, but that doesn't mean they don't sense it. and when you were talking about b.s. putting his paw on your foot....well, that's an animal that senses what you feel and is responding to it.
OK.......enough of that! now, I"m getting teary! and I DON"T like cats!

hang in there!

and yes, diane. VERY cool graphic.

Thanks Cricket.

It seems I am now between a rock and a hard place. I called the vet to find out about doing the Western Blot test, and the receptionist said I had to deal with the woman of the organization who has been helping us. I only wanted to know the price of the test - the receptionist said she didn't see it on her list, and repeated to speak with the other woman. When I told her that she wasn't covering him anymore, she just repeated to speak with her.

I called the woman, told her that Butterscotch was FIV positive and she was very happy that he was not FeLV positive and that he would be fine here with the other cats. I told her NO!... that the vet said he should NOT be put with the rest of our cats. She got upset and said Butterscotch most certainly could - that the vet WOULD say that. When I was able to get a word in, I asked her to simply find out how much the test would be, to see if we could cover that. She is supposed to call me back. Still waiting...

So I am stuck between these 2 disagreeing people who are supposed to be taking care of this sweet kitty. The vet is correct though, Don and I believe!


In the meantime, I called another vet's office to see if they could do the test and how much it would be - if we need to go elsewhere. Some friends of ours use them and are very happy with them. They gave me the price right away, but also said that perhaps all the other cats could be vaccinated for it. We do not do those vaccines anymore because our first cat, Cookie, died from bone marrow cancer and we are convinced it was from her vaccine. BUT... they could give just the FIV - not the FeLV that we believe caused the cancer. However, this receptionist put me on hold for a long time and spoke with the 2 vets there, and asked me more questions about all of our cats - they are going to brainstorm to see what the best action would be for all involved.

I spent more valuable time with this person on the phone discussing it all, than I did with our own vet, who is also the vet for the organization that is helping us. The fact that he and the woman from the organization are on 2 completely different pages does not help us! But in the end... we have to do what is best for the 5 cats we already had when Butterscotch found us.

I am so saddened by all this. I keep going into his room and spending time with him, petting him, talking to him, and doing much crying in there as well. Poor baby did not ask for any of this - it's so unfair!!!

Pictures of the sweetie this morning...



"I'm so lovable!"

He is lovable. I am sorry you are going through all of this. But you are doing it all well.

Beautiful Pictures of Him Lynne

tina said it best. fingers crossed and prayers still going.

This Picture ~ I just want to reach in and pet him

That is good news, Lynne. He deserves a good home.

Lynne I'm soooooo glad there is a positive aspect on things, #1 for Butterscotch #2 it lightens the heaviness in your heart for Butterscotch.

fantastic pictures of Butterscotch, Lynne.


I am so glad that you are finally getting the people at that organization to respond in an positive manner where both you and Butterscotch are concerned.

I am so hoping that this journey finally ends in a happy place for all of you.

Me too Carol Me too

any updates lynne?

Sorry - no updates yet because we were busy getting Amy packed up and back to college yesterday. I will have to make some calls this week and then see how we proceed - thanks for asking.