Feline Leukemia is caused by a contagious virus that is passed easily between cats or
picked up from the cat’s environment.  Mothers will pass the virus to their kittens through the
birth process, nursing or grooming their young.  Cat to cat transmission occurs through
mutual grooming, sharing of feeding bowls or fighting.  It is easily transmissible.

All cats should be tested for this virus before any early surgical procedures or if the cat is
showing signs of serious illness or persistent infections.  The virus is detected by a blood
test that checks for the presence of the virus itself and can be done as early as eight weeks
of age.  There is a window of time where a cat will have a negative result and still be positive
for this deadly virus if the test is performed within two weeks of infection.

The virus causes fatal suppression of the immune system allowing overwhelming infections
and tumors.  Most cats that become infected will do so by the time they are one year of age.
Cats seem to be more resistant to infection by the virus as they age.  Once persistently
infected most cats will die of  one of the many complications of this virus by three years of
age.
Feline Leukemia