Veterinary

Why routine testing isn't done

1. Limited resources

Funds are tight and every dollar spent on testing is not spent on spay/neuter. Prices vary but at least $40 for the combination test is normal at veterinary clinics. If a TNR program tested 100 cats at that rate, that would be $4,000. A large scale study on the prevalence of FIV and FeLV found that 5.6% of cats categorized as feral tested positive for one or the other virus. Another study found 8% of unowned, free-roaming cats tested positive. Applying those findings, testing 100 community cats would identify six to eight positives at a cost of between $500 to $667 per positive result.

2. Spay/neuter prevents spread of disease

Research has found FIV is not transmitted by casual contact and cohabitation nor is it likely to be passed from a queen to her kittens. Instead, according to the Cornell Feline Health Center, "The primary mode of transmission for FIV is through bite wounds from an infected cat." Deep bites that break the skin and can transmit FIV are far more likely to be inflicted by unaltered, outdoor male cats fighting for territory or mates than by other cats. Neutering males reduces aggression and mitgates or eliminates this behavior, stopping or greatly slowing transmission.

For FeLV, it was long thought the virus was highly contagious and easily spread. In recent years, this thinking has shifted and it's believed prolonged close contact or a bite wound is required. Per the Cornell Feline Health Center, "FeLV does not survive long outside a cat's body – probably less than a few hours under normal household conditions - so it is unlikely for a cat to be infected from the environment without prolonged close contact with an infected cat." Kittens, because of their immature immune systems, are at a greater risk (Cornell Feline Health Center). Spay/neuter, by reducing the number of vulnerable kittens, helps slow transmission of the virus.

3. A snap test is unreliable by itself

When tests on community cats are done, the type of test normally used is a co-called "snap" test which gives results within minutes. Technically called the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) test, its purpose is to screen for possible infection, not to definitively diagnose based on one result. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, positive ELISA tests should be followed up with confirmatory testing - either a laboratory test or a snap test using a different manufacturer. In practice, programs that test every TNR cat rarely perform followup testing, increasing the likelihood of false positives.

4. Euthanizing positive cats is unnecessary

Invariably, programs which test every single TNR cat also euthanize any that turn up positive, especially if they're feral. While more at risk for certain conditions, FIV positive cats can remain healthy for many years (Cornell Feline Health Center) and, once neutered, they're unlikely to spread the virus unless unusally aggressive. So there is little gained by ending their lives instead of simply fixing them and putting them back. For cats who test positive for FeLV, infection may only be transient while others and many may become only carriers and not get sick or shed (Merck Veterinary Manual). Furthermore, it's highly likely other community cats who had regular contact with FIV or FeLV positive cats have already been exposed, so eliminating the positives from the environment, as opposed to fixing and returning them, has little impact on reducing risk.

5. Euthanasia can alienate caretakers

Where testing is standard, caretakers are rarely given a choice between euthanasia of a positive or altering and returning him. The program takes it upon itself to euthanize. This can be damaging to community relations if the caretaker believes her otherwise healthy-appearing cat was wrongly put to death and the TNR agency usurped her right to decide what was best. This could deter her - and other caretakers who learn what happened - from future participation, lowering the number of cats fixed and potentially risking more lives than otherwise would have happened

6. The lives of positive cats have value

At Neighborhood Cats, we believe euthanasia has an important purpose - to end severe suffering that cannot be alleviated, whether due to terminal illness or injury, or a lack of resources available for treatment. We don't believe ending a life is justified by the possibility of future illness or the uncertain chance another cat may catch a virus. So for us, one more reason not to test community cats who appear healthy is we would return them to their colonies, anyway, positive or not.