myloplasmia hemobartonella?

Question
Thank you so much for your response. It's been very helpful.  I plan on getting the cats tested and vaccinated as soon as I am financially able, and since winter is coming, It's a lot easier keeping them inside.  Since I moved to a safe location in a place with a yard, I thought letting them out would be fine. They seem so much happier and in their element, and I don't want to take that away from them, but because I have had close to $1,000 in vet bills over the last 6 months, I do think it's better to keep them indoors, though I'm quite worried about doing that.  Is there an easy way to get them used to not going outside?  My cats all go to the door the second they finish eating in the morning, and I'm not sure how to break them of that habit.. it's been a long time since I've had indoor cats.  They do have a lot of toys, and when it rains or is too cold, I try to distract them with toys and so forth, but 2 of my cats are really vocal when they want to go outside.. is there a way to break them of that?  If you have any advice about how to get them used to being indoors, I would greatly appreciate it.  I used to think that it was too dangerous for cats to be outside, then I lived with a friend who believed  very strongly that cats are meant to be outdoors. I saw how much happier they were being outside, so I changed my stance on it.. but now I really want to go back to having them inside.  My kitten is now limping, presumably from jumping out of those trees he loves to climb, and with all the other stuff that's happened because I let them outside, it just makes sense to keep them in, despite having a yard, it's still just too dangerous and costly for me.  Thank you again so much. It's so nice to find other cat lovers out there with such helpful natures!  Namaste
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hello, I have four cats. Two days ago I noticed that one of my cats was very warm and her eyes were starting to get watery, she got very lethargic, lost appetite and had no desire to go outside. (Normally she's the first one at the door to go out) I took her to the vet's yesterday and she said that Chloe's lymph nodes were swollen, her temp was 105 and suggested the possibility of it being feline leukemia.  I haven't been able to get that particular vaccination for her or any of my cats. The vet said that test is over $100, which I cannot afford because I live on a disability income.  She said if it isn't leukemia, it's probably some kind of blood infection from fleas. (Myloplasmia hemobartonella, if I can read the vet's writing correctly!)  In the past, Chloe has had 2 bouts with big sores on her neck (scabs that become open sores and grow bigger until treated). When I took her to the vets for that, they said it was allergies and gave her a shot of steroids and Clavamax, I took her collar off of her for good and she's been fine since, until recently. Yesterday the vet gave Chloe a dose of Revolution and sent me home with a month's supply of Zeniquin. Since coming home, I have treated the other cats with Revolution and am keeping Chloe inside, but she's doing much better (thank God). She's eating, taking the pills, being lovable again, purring, much more playful, talkative, she's drinking water, her eyes aren't watery or discharging anymore, and she wants to go outside. She also doesn't feel nearly as warm as she has in the past 2 days. I got worried when the vet said "I'll say a prayer for her" yesterday, though. In doing my research for feline leukemia, now I'm even more worried that that is what this is, because I noticed a flea problem 2 months ago and thought I had controlled it without using any drugs on the cats, and I don't understand why she's now all of a sudden getting sick, if it's from the fleas.  Also, obviously I'm concerned at how contagious leukemia is, and certainly do not want my other cats to get sick. (None are showing any signs of that as of now) My cats are everything to me and Chloe in particular is extremely loving. I don't want to lose her. She's only a year and a half old.. she's also always been very thin and small-framed.  I did notice today that only her left lymph node was swollen.. is this a good sign?   If you can offer any kind of help I would be greatly appreciate it.  I know that the leukemia test is probably necessary, but I just don't have the money to do it, and yesterday's visit was over $100. They're letting me make payments but I'm also paying off a $300 vet bill from one of my other cats that had 30 staples put in her stomach from a 7-inch laceration from an animal attack.  I'm very limited on cost here, unfortunately.  Thank you in advance for any help you could provide!
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Hi Melissa.  If there's one piece of advice I'd most wish you to take away from this answer, it's try to keep the cats inside.  I know of all the reasons cat owners like to let their cats go out.  For years and years, I allowed my cats outside, too.  I lost several cats to animal attacks, people who took them, faced tons of disease, and my cats did end up with leukemia.  It's now the number one cause of death in outdoor cats.  Still, I felt their quality of life was worth the risk.  I didn't make them indoor cats until I moved directly onto a highway seven years ago.  I decided the risks there were too great and made them all indoor-only cats.  It was the single best decision I've ever made.  The cats are not only far healthier, but they're happier, and they're safe.  Within 2 months, all had come to accept and love indoor life.

I have over 10 years of experience with feline leukemia.  And I can tell you it is quite contagious.  It is not airborne.  It's spread mostly through mutual grooming but can also be spread through bite wounds, and less commonly, sharing water and food.  Because all but 15% of cats tend to be social groomers, about 85% of cats who are exposed to cats with the virus will contract it.  The good news is, cats have 3-6 months for their immune systems to fight off the disease after they contract it.  And about 60% of them do successfully rid themselves of it.  So a positive ELISA test is not a death sentence.  If positive, it should be repeated in three months, and then in another 3 months if still positive.  The 40% who remain positive after 6 months, though, are in for a very difficult road.  Nearly all die within 3 years.

I'm not sure why your vet would charge so much for a leukemia test.  There are a couple different tests available.  Maybe she was planning on running an IFA test, which is more expensive.  This test will tell you if a cat is permanently infected.  However, there is a test called a snap test, or an ELISA, which will tell you if the cat is currently infected (it can't tell you if the cat is permanently infected).  This is usually run in combination with an AIDS test and gives you results in the vet's office in just 10 minutes.  It typically runs $20-$45.  I would call around and ask vets what they charge for an in-house leukemia/AIDS test.

It is a good sign that Chloe is improving.  This would at least indicate she's probably not in the end stages of leukemia.  However, it does not rule out the possibility that she is infected.  So I would urge you to have her and your other cats tested, and vaccinated if negative (if you plan to continue letting them out) ASAP.  You might want to call your local shelter and ask if they know of a low-cost clinic.  Many give vaccinations at just $10 each.  And if there's a Petco near you, a lot of the locations have a clinic once a month with $10 vaccinations and $20 leukemia tests.  You can find a location that offers vaccination clinics at www.petco.com.

Answer
I can't lie, it will be challenging.  You'll have to deal with whining and door-dodging.  But they do settle down eventually.

It might help if you bring in a pot of cat grass for them to nibble on.  You can easily grow it from seed, available at pet stores.  And some pet stores sell it already grown.  Fresh catnip plants are also a great treat.

And you might want to check into a video for them to watch to keep them busy.  www.cattv.com has lots to offer.

I know money is tight for you, but if you eventually end up able to afford it, another great product is the Kitty Walk.  These are wire enclosures that allow cats to go outside more safely, preventing direct contact with other cats, lessening the chances of disease, parasites and injury.  Lots of my friends use them, and their cats adore them.  http://www.kittywalk.com/enclosures.asp