FIV Profiles - Patrick
9 FIV lives -
PatrickWe 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
Patrick
Patrick was another of our early FIV cats. In
1999, here in our village, we were told that there was an old and
sick cat roaming in the neighbourhood, who needed to be trapped
and put to sleep.
We put our trap out where he was reported to visit. On the first night we caught nothing, the second night we caught a hedgehog! But the third night we caught him.
Patrick, as we named him, turned out not to be elderly, but, in fact, only about 18 months old, very thin and with little fur on his back.
After initial treatment he was tested and proved positive for FIV, so we took him into the sanctuary.
With just basic care and good food, he soon recovered and grew into an amazing cat, with fur in abundance, which did get rather knotted, but he was very patient with us while grooming him.
During the six years he was with us, Patrick never needed to see the vet until the day before he died, when, for the first time in his life, he didn't finish a meal! Suspecting a dental problem, he was examined by the vet who found a tumour in the mouth - always bad news, as it is often indicative of other tumours elsewhere.
Patrick was booked into the hospital to be dealt with under anaesthetic, but the following day he seemed to be more off-colour. We put him in our hospital bay in the Fivery, but next morning we found he had died overnight.
Patrick clearly had a very bad start in life; being young when he came to us he had already suffered as a starving stray. Even though he had also picked up FIV, this did not prevent him from recovering well once here. The FIV also did not prevent him from having more than five healthy years with us. Many cats suffer from tumours without having FIV, so whether his mouth tumour was purely due to his poor start or whether the FIV had an influence, we will never know.
We like to think that we kept our promise to him when he arrived, that he would never be really hungry ever again - he, however, would have told you that he was permanently hungry!
We put our trap out where he was reported to visit. On the first night we caught nothing, the second night we caught a hedgehog! But the third night we caught him.
Patrick, as we named him, turned out not to be elderly, but, in fact, only about 18 months old, very thin and with little fur on his back.
After initial treatment he was tested and proved positive for FIV, so we took him into the sanctuary.
With just basic care and good food, he soon recovered and grew into an amazing cat, with fur in abundance, which did get rather knotted, but he was very patient with us while grooming him.
During the six years he was with us, Patrick never needed to see the vet until the day before he died, when, for the first time in his life, he didn't finish a meal! Suspecting a dental problem, he was examined by the vet who found a tumour in the mouth - always bad news, as it is often indicative of other tumours elsewhere.
Patrick was booked into the hospital to be dealt with under anaesthetic, but the following day he seemed to be more off-colour. We put him in our hospital bay in the Fivery, but next morning we found he had died overnight.
Patrick clearly had a very bad start in life; being young when he came to us he had already suffered as a starving stray. Even though he had also picked up FIV, this did not prevent him from recovering well once here. The FIV also did not prevent him from having more than five healthy years with us. Many cats suffer from tumours without having FIV, so whether his mouth tumour was purely due to his poor start or whether the FIV had an influence, we will never know.
We like to think that we kept our promise to him when he arrived, that he would never be really hungry ever again - he, however, would have told you that he was permanently hungry!
Patrick when he arrived, very thin and with little fur on his back -
picture at top is just one year later.
and in his final year
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Other Profiles
Harry
Captain
Fluff
Dougal
Donny
Molly
Nick
Joseph
and one for luck:
Plucky
