The outdoor cat

This gorgeous torti lives on the roofs and streets of Battambang, Cambodia - a precarious existence with the danger of motodops, bicycles, trucks, cars, starvation, street dogs and other cats.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is spread in cat saliva. If this torti is involved in a fight with another cat she risks infection with FIV and the later, sometimes much later, development of Feline AIDS.
Like humans with human AIDS, cats with feline AIDS get odd infections: including trench mouth, fungal infections, chest infections, toxplasmosis and demodex mites.
Although Australia has one of the highest rates of FIV infections in the world we have a vaccine against it.
If you have cats that enjoy the world outside your home, especially if one is a bit of a warrior, then consider vaccinating them against FIV at the next checkup and vaccination review with your vet.
When bringing a new kitten into your life consider confining her indoors to avoid FIV, cat fights, vehicles and dog attacks. We can choose to keep our cats in safer environs than their brothers and sisters in city Cambodia.