You’ve fallen for a shelter cat that tested positive for feline immunodeficiency virus, or FIV (F-I-V). You’d never risk the health of your FIV-negative cats at home, so should you reconsider adopting him or her?

FIV weakens a cat’s immune system and sets him up for other infections. But that may not happen for years. Meanwhile, FIV can spread among cats, primarily via bite wounds. Preventing fights can help prevent infection, but it isn’t foolproof.

You could have your FIV-negative cats vaccinated, but the vaccine won’t protect against all types of FIV. And later, an FIV-positive test won’t distinguish between vaccine-induced antibodies and those produced by a full-blown infection.

So the only way to protect your FIV-negative kitties is to completely separate them from an FIV-positive cat. Only you know if that could work at your house.