FIV Profiles - Molly

9 FIV lives - Molly

We have selected just a few examples from the FIV cats who have lived in the sanctuary. We have chosen each as an example of how well FIV cats can do - some have other problems to deal with on top of the virus

Molly was an elderly FIV lady who came to Catwork in the autumn of 2003, when her owners moved permanently abroad.

Molly had lived with other elderly cats, but the rescue they went to would not accept Molly because she was FIV+, despite the fact they could see she had not passed the virus to her companions over the previous years.

So, in one fell swoop, she lost her human family, her cat family and her home. We were quite concerned for her happiness, but there was no alternative. Being FIV+, nobody the owners approached would take her.

Fate, however, took a turn when, a bit later, a pair of elderly FIV cats (Florence and Jemima) also needed to come in. Molly then had friends again and lived with them in a converted warm chalet with a covered outside area. Being a bit disabled in the back legs, we made her many extra levels to climb and sit on, and a ramp to ease the problem of getting in and out of the cat flap.

Molly was a great character, very chatty, big, black and cuddly - we were very fond of her.

Molly remained healthy and, six years after arriving here already elderly, she went into kidney failure in early 2009, and with great sadness we had to have her put to sleep.


Molly is a good example of two things: she lived all her life with other cats, and did not pass the virus to them; and, having been well cared for all her life, she remained healthy well into old age, and died of a typical ?old cat? problem - no one would have known or suspected she was FIV without being told.

<back to top>