14/12/2023
Today, I'd like to share the story of an extraordinary cat. She was once part of someone's life for 11 years, used for breeding because of her purebred Persian lineage. However, when she grew old, they no longer wanted her and considered discarding her while she was pregnant. Fortunately, a friend reached out to me, aware of my passion for helping animals in need. I found her in poor condition due to her history as a breeding cat.
After taking her to the vet for a check-up and FIV and Leukemia tests, the results were positive for both. The vet recommended putting her down along with the unborn kittens due to their expected health issues. Disagreeing with this decision, I took her home, and three days later, she gave birth. She stayed in my rescue for almost two years until Susan Spangenberg discovered her through pictures on Facebook and expressed a desire to adopt her.
Despite living far away in Johannesburg while I was in Sabie, we arranged her adoption and safely transported her to Susan, who named her Pearl. Contrary to the vet's predictions, Pearl's kittens were born healthy and were later adopted into loving homes after testing negative for FIV and Leukemia.
I've learned not to fully rely on a single FIV and Leukemia snap test, advising fellow rescuers to conduct multiple tests over several months to ensure accuracy. Additionally, stress and a cat's state of distress might affect test results, especially for feral cats. Interestingly, Susan, now Pearl's mom, has other cats in her home, some positive and some negative for the virus, yet they all live happily without transmitting it to each other. Pearl, is now five years with her new mom, continues to thrive in her new home and remains happy and healthy.