Six year old tuxedo cat, Ash, is up against some difficult odds in the shelter.
The adult cat with the beautiful black and white fur, also tested positive for FIV, or the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.
Photo Courtesy of Belle Vie Animal Rescue
The outdated stigma of black cats being evil has long plagued these loving cats.
They are the least likely to be adopted and often the first to be euthanized in shelters.
This goes for many furry creatures sporting the sleek ebony coloring.
Senior cats also spend their caged days fighting for attention that tends to be given to kittens.
Photo: Chris Poole visits with black cats in Tampa shelter waiting for adoption
With the FIV+ diagnosis, it seems Ash is up against a “triple-threat” of misconceptions.
It was long believed, and sadly still a practice, that these FIV+ cats should be immediately euthanized.
Although the disease cannot be spread to humans or other species, it can be transferred to other felines…but NOT in the ways many believe.
Methods of this transmission are what is highly misrepresented in outdated information.
Photo Courtesy of Belle Vie Animal Rescue
This has sadly led to a number of people becoming upset that Ash was not put “out of his misery” when diagnosed. =(
The Belle Vie Animal Rescue in South East Queensland happily knows NO animal deserves this fate.
FIV is transmitted through deep bite wounds or at times, in utero.
Contrary to popular belief, FIV+ and FIV- cats can absolutely live long lives together… safely!
Take the example of the fabulous feline duo of Cole and Marmalade!
Photo: Property of Cole and Marmalade
The boys have been best buddies since long before Marmalade tested positive.
Due to the mothers antibodies still present in young kittens, may FIV tests come back with false negatives OR positives in kittens less than 6 months old.
Photo: Property of Cole and Marmalade
This is what happened with Marmalade. He tested negative when he was 2 months old…and at a year and a half, tested positive.
But his status didn’t dissuade their humans from adopting 2 more kittens recently; Jugg and Zig Zag!
Photo: Jugg and Zig Zag ~ First snuggle together caught on camera <3
So poor Ash sits at the shelter, waiting for the purrfect family of understanding humans to rescue him.
He was saved from a pound in Queensland and taken into the foster program through Belle Vie.
The disheveled cat broke his foster mom’s heart when she saw him for the first time.
Patches of hair were missing, he had some “yucky teeth”, and sad little eyes. This didn’t stop her from recognizing the sweet and handsome boy under all the rough exterior.
Photo Courtesy of Belle Vie Animal Rescue
As soon as she sat down with him, he settled on her lap and fell into a deep sleep.
A “kitty paralysis” type sleep with no hope for moving any time soon!
Ash’s constant purrs were music to her ears. The scraggly boy loved attention and cuddles and even the vets fell for his charm.
Photo Courtesy of Belle Vie Animal Rescue
He was taken right from the pound to the vet for the much needed medical attention he deserved.
They neutered, micro-chipped and vaccinated him, also treating him for fleas and worms. It was confirmed one of his canine teeth was rotted causing him pain and was pulled right away.
“You may see in some of my photos that my lip curls up where the tooth was pulled – everyone comments that it just adds to my looks and charm!”
Photo Courtesy of Belle Vie Animal Rescue
So now that Ash is feeling better and “dressed for success”, it’s time for him to find a loving family.
He does love humans so much that he tends to get jealous of their attention. For this reason, they suggest that he be an only cat when adopted.
As for the “advanced age”, he is just more mature and wise!
No shenanigans come with sweet Ash. Well set into his routine, he is just interested in love and cuddles.
Photo Courtesy of Belle Vie Animal Rescue
His adoption advertisement hilariously admits his 1 fault.
“I am clean, always use my litter and will always respect you, but maybe not your personal space so much. So, if you’re looking for an older cat that really deserves a chance at love, please think of me <3”
If you are in the area and looking for that perfect cat who is not letting the past history of misrepresentation hold him down, Ash is your boy!
Photo Courtesy of Belle Vie Animal Rescue
Please contact the Belle Vie by messaging their Facebook page or email them at bellevieanimalrescue@gmail.com.
Let’s help change 1 deserving cats life and right the wrongs black cats, senior cats and FIV+ cats have been struggling against for centuries!
REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP; FOSTERING SAVES LIVES & SPAY AND NEUTER!
Related Story: Uniquely Diagnosed Special Needs Cat Saved Just Before Euthanasia!
Related Video: FIV+ Cats = Positively Adoptable!
I have 2 Tuxy’s,1 is a DSH and the other is a DLH and my DSH is FIV+ and I have a total of 13 cats,I get angry when people say put the cat down if is is FIV+,FIV is not a death sentence,my FIV+ cat is now 10 yrs old and is still thriving,I hope ‘Ash’ gets his furever home soon.
OMGoodness I hope someone adopts this sweet boy!! My Meeka is FIV+. I knew this before I adopted her from the Humane Society in 2012. She had been there quite some time because she was FIV+. But I didn’t care. I connected with her. She has since had to have all her teeth removed because of the virus but she’s doing great now. She even has a sister and 2 little brothers now.
Ash is a love bug! He also is not THAT senior! I adopted 2 sister cats who were 10 years old! Ash is seasoned. NOT old!
He is so sweet! More mature cats are amazing companions, loving, wise – total delight. One of my nephews is around 12-14 yo and it is a constant pleasure to be around him. He is purring, looking at you with love in his eyes, sleeping quite a lot (eg by your side, warming you up in chilly evenings), never broke a thing, never peed outside his litterbox, never made us angry. As I said, a delight ♥
I’m so inspired by Cole & Marmalade,s mom & dad when I read and see all that they do to bring awareness to everyone about Black Cats & FIV+ Cats so that people know the correct information instead of the stigmas out there.
I’ve been watching Cole & Marmalade since the beginning and have had 3 precious Black Cats since 2003. All 3 of my beloved Black Cats filled my life with craziness, love, and more cuddles than I could ask for and I miss them dearly. It’s been rough to lose all 3 of them to Cancer, but it won’t stop me from adopting my next Black Cat who will choose me like my other precious furr-babies did when I adopted & not shopped.
I would adopt Ash in a heartbeat if I was ready to adopt again but I know that with having the exposure from this article Ash will be adopted soon & get his fur-ever home he deserves. Ash just melted my heart reading his story and I want to do what I can to help this precious boy get his well deserved fur-ever home.
Cat Man Chris & JessiCat have continued to inspire me to do more in my community and volunteer in rescue shelters and clinics and one day start fostering kittens because my 3 fur-babies gave me so much love and happiness i will always cherish. I want to give back the same love to as many fur-babies as I can so that they can get their fur-ever home too.
sorry to say this, but you have to be a bit careful around highly bred Siamese (and probably other orientals) A woman at our clinic had 2 champion Siamese, one 3 yrs old, one 4 yrs, when she rescued a little kitten who later turned out to be FIV+. Within a year, both siamese had died of Feline AIDS…(normal cats seem to do alright)
FIV is NOT feline AIDS and cats don’t die from it. It’s the complications of other issues and the weakened immune system that FIV effects. And it is usually transferred via deep bite wounds.