Feline Lukemia

Question
Hello Jana,First I want to thank you on the advise on my 13 year old poodle. That same night, I had to take her to emergency..they put her on oxygen from 1AM till 6AM..she still could not breathe and I had to put her to sleep..I am still heartsick.  Now, I have taken in stray cat had him fixed..has feline leukemia..he is separate from my other cats..the Vet suggested to all other cats given the vaccine..do I still have to keep the new cat away from all my others. Also, he shows no sign of being sick.  How long will a cat live with this disease?  Thank you.  Carol

Answer
Carol,
First let me tell you how sorry I am about your little dog. I know how heartbreaking that is but just imagine how much he was struggling to breathe. You gave him a great gift.

As far as how long a cat with leukemia can live, it can be anywhere from months to years and years. There is no way to know.
Leukemia is very, very contagious. You should not only get the others vaccinated, but make sure they cannot see each other to hiss at each other, as it can spread through hissing and fighting, licking and sharing water bowls, puddles of water, etc.

You might want to get the other cats tested if you can if they were already exposed to the positive cat.

They often don't show signs of being sick but they are still rampant carriers anyway. So make sure you really keep them apart, which is really sad for the sick cat.
Again, I am really sorry for your loss.