Tag Archives: FeLV +

Leonardo: King of the Forest Floor

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Ok, so he doesn’t actually live in a forest, but he does live in a Tree House (and he spends a lot of time on the floor), and we’re hoping to change that. See, Leonardo has been at Tree House since 2017. That’s a long time. Now, let’s take a look at this face and see if you can spot anything that would make it hard for him to get adopted:

Leonardo, King of the Tree House Floor.

Nope. Looks good, right? Ok, MAYBE he looks a bit older than he is (he’s actually only 6). Maybe his eye is a little goopy. Maybe he has FeLV (he does, that’s not a maybe), and FIV (he comes fully-loaded) but in addition to all that, he also has love! Love to give YOU, the one person in the whole world that he’s been waiting for to see through his slightly rough exterior right into his soft, lovely heart.

Imagine yourself sitting on the floor, right next to Leo on his very favorite Kingdom, him in his soft, comfy throne with a plate of wet food, you with whatever it is you like to do. You would pet him gently, but you would know when to stop and would respect his wishes, as is his right. Now, imagine the best part of all of this: that you single-handedly gave a second chance to a little guy who really, really needed it.

Leo doesn’t mind other cats, but Tree House recommends (in some situations)* that he live with other FeLV-positive kitties. Lucky for you, we have them! (See Ginger below) He would also prefer a chill, quiet home, one with plenty of floor on which he could impose his will.

That time Leonardo and Ginger accidentally wore the same outfit to a party. She was MAAAAAD.

If you think Leonardo could be the kitty of your dreams, come in to Tree House to meet him. Ask for him by name; we all know him here.

We hope to see you soon. So does Leonardo.

Love,

Tree House.

*Tree House doesn’t recommend sending an FeLV-positive cat into homes with kittens or geriatric cats. However, see our adoption counselors to see if he might fit into your existing cat household.

Ginger, still miffed at Leo for that wardrobe faux pas.

**This post was updated shortly after posting to reflect Leo’s FIV-positive status (we don’t think too much about it and forgot to include it) and Tree House’s new guidelines on mixing FeLV-positive cats with FeLV-negative cats. **

FeLV: Felines Love Valentines

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Have you ever sent a Valentine to a feline? They love them, you know, and if you’ve ever loved a cat, you’ve likely addressed an envelope or two. But perhaps you haven’t yet met the right kitty, the one that makes you want to bring home catnip flowers in a (hopefully) inexpensive vase you don’t mind seeing broken as a soft paw nudges it off the table’s edge. Well, we can help you find that special someone, and we can also help you see that, while you may have initially thought the broken vase was a negative, it was ugly and it was a positive change to your decor. Either way, at Tree House, positive and negative don’t make much difference when love is involved.

See, here at Tree House, we have a special room full of positive cats; positive in their attitude and their love for life and snuggling. They’re positively joyful and beautiful and happy. And they’re also positive for FeLV, but we don’t think that’s a negative. So let us take this moment to introduce you to Amberly, a perfectly adoptable, loveable, huggable girl who is just waiting for her Valentine to arrive.

amberly, available for adoption at Tree House

The one, the only, Amberly!

Amberly is FeLV positive, meaning she has Feline Leukemia Virus, a retrovirus that has no cure. She may live a shorter lifespan than an FeLV negative cat, but that just means she plans to pack more effort into whatever time she has. That means more love, more intense snuggles, and all play and no work. You wouldn’t want her to work anyway, would you? She’s gotten accustomed to her leisure time at Tree House, which she spends looking for hugs, chatting, and grooming her spectacularly patterned fur.

Now, here’s what Amberly can’t do: She can’t live with an FeLV negative cat because the virus can spread through close contact. And… that’s about it! Let’s look at the things she can do:

  • Live with a dog, or another FeLV positive cat (Have you met Meatball? Holy cow, is that little guy a bundle of joy!)
  • Love you
  • Cuddle
  • Run, jump, and play
  • Knock vases off tables, but only if they don’t match your decor (she’s really into interior design)
  • Be your friend for life

And really, is there anything else you could want?

Amberly, the adoptable FeLV positive cat at Tree House

Look at those gorgeous stripey patch colors!

Listen, we realize that adopting a kitty with a shortened lifespan can be scary, but we’re here to help. You can read this FeLV Fact Sheet  that our fabulous Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Emily Swiniarski, put together to help understand if adopting an FeLV positive kitty is right for you. If you have more questions, let us know. If you want to meet Amberly, come visit. She’s hanging out near our soon-to-open cat cafe. Until then, she’ll be waiting patiently for her Valentine. She hopes it’s going to be you.

Love,

Tree House.

P.S. If you have already given your heart to a kitty, you can choose a special gift for them from our Purrfect Purr Catique.  100% of the profits go directly to helping cats like Amberly. (Oh, who are we kidding? Amberly is one of a kind!)

Amberly, the adoptable FeLV positive cat at Tree House

Amberly waiting patiently for love. And snacks.