My Pet World: How cat got feline leukemia baffles one family

Dear Cathy,

My husband and I went to a no-kill shelter to adopt a cat after I became disabled and had to retire early. I adopted a beautiful Lynx point Siamese who had been brought to the shelter 14 months prior as an orphan. He immediately jumped on my lap, rubbed his face all over mine, and didn't mind my mobility scooter one bit. His vet records showed he was up-to-date on vaccines and tested negative for feline leukemia. I took him to my vet, and he again tested negative for the disease. He was the only cat in the house.

Seven months later, he didn't feel well, and so we took him to the vet. To our shock, he was diagnosed with feline leukemia. He was my therapy fur kid. Two and a half years later, he passed away.

Can a mother cat pass the disease to her offspring? I struggle daily as to how this happened. -- Rebecca Boston, Madera, CA

Dear Rebecca,

I am so sorry for your loss; it's difficult to lose a feline companion at such a young age.

An infected mother cat can pass this disease onto her kittens through her milk, but your cat may have been exposed to the disease at the shelter.

As to why your cat tested negative, though, I had to dig a little deeper. According to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, there is something called regressive infection, which occurs in about 10 percent of feline leukemia cases where a cat can mount "an immune response sufficient to eliminate the virus from the bloodstream, but not robust enough to completely eliminate FeLV DNA from the body." Apparently, the virus can "be reactivated sometime in the future." That may be why it didn't show up in those initial tests.

Ask your veterinarian if he or she thinks this is what happened with your cat since he stayed inside and had no other exposure to felines after coming home with you.

Dear Cathy,

I would appreciate it if you continue to write about rabbits, as I use to have outdoor and indoor (litter-box trained) rabbits. Also, I would like to read about birds, etc. besides just dogs and cats. -- Joanna, Smithtown, NY

Dear Joanna,

This column is generated by letters, so if people write to me with stories, questions or tips about other animals, I am happy to fulfill your request. Let me know if you have any rabbit stuff to share. In the meantime, here is a letter about ... squirrels.

Dear Cathy,

I have recently put out a bird feeder for a family of cardinals that visit. I first put the feeder in a tree until I caught a squirrel batting the feeder to knock out the seed. I then moved the feeder to a free-standing post in the yard thinking that feeder would be out of the squirrel's reach. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the squirrel climbed the pole. Please advise if there is anything I can do to prevent the squirrel from attacking the feeder. -- Ed Berman, Oceanside, NY

Dear Ed,

Squirrels are quite acrobatic and can jump about eight to 10 feet horizontally and can hook their back toes around poles as they maneuver around bird feeders. So, the first bit of advice is to keep the bird feeder at least 10 feet away from tree limbs, trees, electrical wires, rooftops, etc.

As for the pole, there are squirrel-proof bird feeders with mesh caging around the seed/suet areas and pyramid-shaped domes (baffles) above and below the seed cage to keep squirrels from reaching the seed should they climb up or slide down the pole. If you don't want a new feeder, you might be able to fashion a baffle for your current feeder by looking at pictures of squirrel-proof feeders online.

But a Kentucky woman may have found an innovative and humane solution. Last year, Jan Siems Catron became an internet sensation when she put a slinky over the top of a bird feeder pole and produced a video to show what happened next. When the squirrel climbed the pole, he had to grab the slinky to continue, which expanded and returned him to the ground each time. After a day's worth of attempts, he stopped trying to climb the pole.

If you want to feed your squirrels, place the food at an elevated level, like the top of a fence post. Most wild animals don't feel safe eating while exposed on open ground.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)