[cw: animal illness] do not reblog
Tux, one of my cats, has caught FeLV - aka feline leukemia virus. It is not curable.
He was diagnosed via blood and saliva tests done for cat flu, and has an incredibly low white blood cell count (fights infection).
If he hadn't got cat flu we'd never have known and he could have died.
My mother, who I will never forgive for this, let him follow her around as she did yardwork or was out on the deck. I was opposed to this but he seemed to behave, until recently, when he ran away and ended up under our disused pigeon coop. He also disappeared for 40 mins a few weeks ago. My dad never watched him properly; he was too stoned.
We figure he caught it during the latter, from some sort of altercation. There are many cats in our neighbourhood as well as a feral cat colony. One cat we do know of is named Scruffy and has a den under our front steps, where it is warm due to a vent.
The vet figured he was hurt but not visibly.
The other theory is Dwellie somehow caught it via an altercation. Dwellie came from outside, abandoned, and we took her in. She got a big slash mark on her face about a month ago, and we assumed it was just her needing a claw trim. She is lazy and a bit fat and can work herself into a tizzy if she is denied her deck naps - but the vet said she is likely fully vaccinated (as she's had more than one surgery in her past and the vets require full vaccination.) She also barely leaves the deck as it is, and then only to poop. She is tagged and has a collar on, with high vis reflectors printed. Her tag is also a high vis reflector. I hate having her outside but she never really goes anywhere so whatever. Sort of like an old woman on her rocker on the porch.
Tux was not vaccinated against FeLV, nor was his sister Marmalade who is an indoor cat. I am a full proponent of indoor cats, but I live with abusive parents. My dad is a stoner, my mother believes in outdoor cats as all the cats she's ever owned were in and out freely. I am into harness and catio, as is the vet. I demanded if she was letting him follow her to get him the vaccines for outdoor cats - which are different than standard indoor ones that he does have - but nooooo.
She could have fucking prevented this if she had listened. She knew the risks. She knew there was a chance he'd get sick! And yet she ignored me out of stubbornness.
I am never forgiving her.
Please, send your good wishes and prayers and offerings, etc to Tux. He needs them.
There is much more to this story but I'm just so furious at her. It was so preventable.
