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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!harpo!seismo!hao!cires!nbires!opus!rcd
From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Feline leukemia (and cat breeders)
Message-ID: <399@opus.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Apr-84 03:24:42 EST
Article-I.D.: opus.399
Posted: Wed Apr 25 03:24:42 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Apr-84 05:04:52 EST
Organization: NBI, Boulder
Lines: 19

<This is actually unnecessary>

I recently posted a long article on cat breeders.  I forgot to mention one
thing - feline leukemia.  This is a highly contagious disease (communicable
only among cats, not to humans) for which there is neither preventive
immunization nor cure, and which is almost always fatal.

If you are contemplating buying a cat from a breeder, the breeder should
test all cats in the cattery regularly.  Most responsible breeders will
actually tell you, or advertise, that they do this testing.  In written
advertising, it generally appears as "FeLV negative".  If a breeder doesn't
mention it, ask.  If you don't get a satisfactory answer, look elsewhere.

For this reason, you should also expect breeders to keep cats indoors or
away from other cats roaming the neighborhood.  A responsible breeder just
can't afford the risk of contaminating the entire cattery population.
-- 
...Cerebus for dictator!				Dick Dunn
{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd				(303) 444-5710 x3086