Pumpkin's Journey to Rescue

It was early July in a crowded shelter when I first met Pumpkin. He was a scared little ball of fluff huddled in the back of a cage. Weighing in at a whopping one pound, this insecure boy hissed at everyone who approached the cage and cowered with fear. He swatted at me as I picked him up and started to shake in my arms. He was your typical terrified feral kitten, but I knew Pumpkin and his brother Pickles just had to come home with me. Soon he would be a loving little guy snuggling and purring in my bathroom...

And so it was, Pumpkin and Pickles settled into our master bathroom to learn all about people and start their deferalization education. They were fast learners and soon they purred and cooed and cuddled. They were fabulous little kittens and they became my happy boys. They loved playing with our dogs and I was so proud of their progress. I loved them so much.

It wasn't long before I brought home another family of kittens in need. The boys joined Momma Nova and her babies (The Guardians of the Galaxy kittens!) in the kitten room to learn all about playing with toys and making kitten friends. The boys blossomed and socialized beautifully. They grew into chubby two pound kittens... and you know what that means... Spay and neuter time for the kitten pride! 

All of the kittens were ready to go, except for our poor little Pumpkin... He tested faintly positive for Feline Leukemia (FeLV). I was heartbroken. Pumpkin had to be separated from the other kittens and would need to be retested in another month and again when he was six months old to confirm the results. There is still a twenty percent chance that Pumpkin's result was a false positive. I like to say that it's a one in five chance because it feels better to think about it that way for me. There's a one in five chance that Pumpkin is a normal kitten.

Until we know for sure, we are treating Pumpkin as if he was FeLV positive. After talking with vets and researching FeLV, I've found that it's not as scary as one might initially think. It's not great, but it's not the end of the world. Pumpkin is happy, healthy, and full of life. He is showing no symptoms, and may never show any symptoms of the virus. 

FeLV is a retrovirus that may lower the immune system or cause illness later in life (examples include general ill feelings like fever, loss of appetite, or weight loss). Most kittens get the virus from their mother. However, it is possible to spread it through saliva or other fluids, such as sharing food and water bowls. Because of this, FeLV cats are not generally recommended to live with non-FeLV cats in case of spread, but can live in harmony with other FeLV cats. FeLV is species specific and can NOT be transmitted to humans or dogs, only cats are affected. 

Many cats live full happy lives with FeLV and never show any signs; cats with FeLV have slightly increased chances of developing infections so it is especially important that they see their vet for yearly check ups. Unfortunately, FeLV tends to hit kittens the hardest and they rarely live longer than 2-3 years old.

To learn more about FeLV and common misconceptions about these awesome cats click here.

So Pumpkin hasn't been dealt the best hand in life, but he doesn't know it and he is a happy little dude.  We are still hoping that he's that one in five kittens who had a false positive, but if he's not, then it's okay. We are still going to keep looking for his forever home. I know that there is someone out there who is special enough for our Pumpkin because even short lives are worth living and living well.