Hi Newb. There is absolutely no point in getting stressed. Either your cats have got FeLV or they haven't. It can remain dormant their entire lives. If you are worried, have a chat with your vet about getting the tests done - bear in mind that then you would know either way. Playing Devil's Advocate - Could you cope with knowing one was infected and the other wasn't? What would you do then? If you are worried about cost implications for treatment, get them insured now - before you have testing done!
"Cats infected with FeLV may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: Pale gums / Yellow colour in the mouth and whites of eyes / Enlarged lymph nodes / Bladder, skin, or upper respiratory infections / Weight loss and/or loss of appetite / Poor coat condition / Progressive weakness and lethargy / Fever / Diarrhoea / Breathing difficulty or sterility in entire queens.
Nowadays it is thought 70% of cats who encounter the virus are able to resist infection or eliminate the virus on their own. Exposure to infected cats raises your cat’s risk of contracting FeLV, especially for kittens and young adult cats. Older cats are less likely to contract the infection, because resistance seems to increase with age. For indoor-only cats, the risk of contracting FeLV is very low. Cats in multi-cat households or in catteries are more at risk, especially if they share water and food dishes and litter boxes.
Only about 3% of cats in single-cat households have the virus, but for cats that spend time outdoors, the rate is much higher. Still, the prevalence of FeLV has decreased over the last 25 years because of vaccines and reliable tests."
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