Bagheera: 18 years old, FIV-positive, and still hunting (toy) mice

Dalia wrote this about Bagheera, who has shared her life for almost two decades. We tidied the typos; every word of the opinion is hers.

Bagheera is the perfect example of why you shouldn't be scared to adopt an FIV cat. In terms of lifespan, just stating her grand age is the main argument: she's 18.

But fine, if you need more, here's more.

How it started

Bagheera wasn't sick from the beginning. She probably got FIV from a naughty suitor. We have an idea who. He bit her, and she got infected. She was almost 5.

Then nothing happened for many years. She did suffer from allergies, but not the typical diseases you'd expect from a weakened immune system. We solved the allergy with an anti-flea collar and life carried on. She was in contact with many cats through almost two decades, so she was well and truly exposed. Her FIV was only found during a routine check-up.

Life with FIV

After that, she still roamed. We went on a long trip, moved house several times, and the house got more and more crowded.

One year, everybody caught a cold: fever and sneezes all round. It took Bagheera a little longer to heal. Instead of three days, she had five bad days.

A year ago she had quite a few teeth removed. Her blood counts gave the OK for the surgery: her usual anaemia, but nothing standing in the way.

The eye scare this summer

This summer she probably caught a flying herpesvirus. Not her fault. Mine, for turning this house into a vet clinic.

One of her eyes went weird. She had two superficial ulcers, which at first were thought to be caused by cleaning products. Things got worse before they got better. But her immune system, FIV and all, still managed to trigger the right healing process in the eye. That's why, at one point, it looked as if there was blood inside her eye. That was actually a good sign: the eye was healing itself.

Old age, not FIV

She's old, and she has the diseases of old age. She gets a shot of Solensia, an injection for arthritis pain, every 4 to 6 weeks, and honestly, her appetite is better than ever. A couple of times she has made a successful hunt of a dead "toy mouse" and brought it to me with pride.

So again: how much more proof is needed? Is Bagheera an exception? Nope. There are countless stories of cats making it well past what anyone expected. Like in humans, some diseases aren't the worst ones. In my experience, far more cats die of kidney and heart problems than FIV cats die because their immune system can't fight back.

Help Bagheera keep hunting

Each Solensia shot costs €85, every 4 to 6 weeks. If you'd like to cover one (or a few), you can sponsor Bagheera on Patreon. She'll repay you in toy mice.

Thinking of adopting an FIV-positive cat? Our guide FIV-positive cats: what it means for adopters explains the facts, and arthritis in cats covers the signs to watch for in older cats. You can also meet Bagheera.