You might notice some cats are listed as "FIV+", so really, what does that mean? It is not to be confused with FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) or FELV (Feline Leukemia Virus). There is a huge difference between all three of those viruses.
FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. Don't stop reading, though! It's not nearly as scary as it sounds. In fact, it's not really scary at all. For most adult cats with FIV, it does not cause any health issues.
FIV typically "flares up" at the time of infection and then again during the kitty's senior years, but in between, it basically goes dormant. So, the cat is infected and will show it's positive, but the virus isn't active in the body causing issues. It's just kind of, hanging out.
FIV+ cats require the same care all cats need. They are not considered special needs. Because they may have a slightly weaker immune system, they must be kept indoors at all times, and they need yearly or regular vet checkups along with keeping up with their vaccines. With that and a high-quality diet, they have the same life expectancy as cats who don't have FIV.
FIV is NOT transmittable to humans or any other animals. It is spread through cats only through mating and deep bite wounds. Even then, transmission is rare. FIV+ cats can live with FIV- cats as long as they are both cat-friendly and spayed/neutered. A lot of FIV+ kitties come from outdoor colonies, so you'll frequently find that FIV+ make the best companions to other cats.
Many shelters and rescues either do not accept or actively euthanize FIV+ cats unnecessarily. Sometimes that is simply because of the misunderstanding among potential adopters around what it really is, making it harder to find homes for these kitties. But it's an undeserved reputation.
Because of the updated research and understanding of FIV and it's limited health impacts on cats, including it's limited ability to be spread to other cats, many rescues are now no longer testing for it. At Denver Kittens, we test all cats for FELV (another more serious cat virus) but not necessarily FIV, as some tests test for both while others test for only FELV. We welcome FIV+ kitties with open arms, and we hope you will too!