by Jackie Fleming
Jackie Fleming is an Outreach Associate at Valley Animal Center in Fresno, California. VAC will be sharing their animal rescue adventures with us now every month. Check out KRL’s interview with VAC to learn more about what they do.
If you want to adopt one of the most sweet and loving cats, look no further than Tim, the Valley Animal Center’s FIV+ kitty mascot. Tim is two years old and came to Valley Animal Center from a local animal control shelter. He is FIV+, which means that he has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. The virus is slow-acting and suppresses the cat’s immune system. This causes the cat to be more susceptible to secondary illnesses. With proper supportive care, FIV+ cats can live long healthy lives, and the disease cannot spread to humans. Cats with FIV make great house cat companions. Just like all cats, they need loving homes, too! Tim would be a great addition to any family.
Tim
There are a few things to consider when adopting a FIV-positive cat. The illness is spread primarily by cats biting other cats, so FIV cats need to be kept inside the house. Tim is only too happy to sit and “make biscuits” in your lap, and doesn’t mind being a house cat at all. Tim would need to be the only cat in the house unless the other feline residents also are FIV+ and are not allowed outside. Care for these cats is similar to care you would give to a cat without FIV. They need regular veterinary checkups and nutritionally balanced food. It’s also important to watch for changes in the cat’s daily routine and temperament. With a little extra love and care, FIV+ cats are perfect house cats. 
Tim, in particular, is a favorite among the cat adoption staff at Valley Animal Center. All of the FIV+ cats live together in a cat condo and are available for visiting. These cats welcome socialization and attention. If you’re interested in helping with the care of the FIV+ cats or the other cats at Valley Animal Center, you can sign up to be a shelter volunteer. Volunteers in the Cat Adoption Center help socialize, brush, pet, and play with the cats. They also help keep animals healthy by cleaning waste from litter boxes and kennels. Tim loves to meet new volunteers and visitors, but would still love to have a family of his own.
Tim can be found in the Valley Animal Center’s Cat Adoption Center, open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Valley Animal Center is Fresno’s largest non-profit, no-kill shelter and adoption center for dogs and cats. It is located at 3934 N. Hayston Ave. and can be reached at 559-233-8690.
Keep up with VAC’s animal rescue adventures here at KRL, and learn more about adopting from them, volunteering, and donating to VAC on their website If you advertise with KRL you can designate 10% of your ad fees to go to VAC.
Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to a local animal rescue.
Hope Tim finds his forever home through your lovely article. While visiting our veterinarian with one of our cats, we met a wonderful woman who had rescued many cats & one was a kitten with FIV. He became her much loved indoor cat & was 12 years old when we met him. Like Tim, he sounded like a great treasure. Hope Tim gets a happy home like her cat did.