Yoo see, my gramma’s cat, Babe, is FIV-positive. (That’s a pikcher of Babe above.) He was a tame feral cat hoo showed up on Gramma’s doorstep (we think he wuz dumped win his owners found out he was FIV-positive), and he’s bin the best cat she ever had. He sleeps with his hed on her pillow at nite and keeps her cumpany. Win she’s sik, he’ll klime on her chest and put his paws on the side of her cheeks. She ferst fownd owt he was FIV-positive many yeers ago win he ferst came to live with her. She was alarmd, but owr vet reassured her that Babe could live a long, happy, helthy life. He was rite. Babe’s had no more helth problems than the rest of us.

Babe is a geezer cat now, over 15 yeers old. If my gramma had made him go to the Ranebow Bridge win she first fownd out he was FIV-positive, she wood have mist owt on many many yeer’s of Babe’s wunderful companionship.

Shelters often have trubbul adopting out FIV-positive pets. If you have no other cats in the howsehold (or have anuther FIV-positive cat), consider adopting an FIV-positive cat. I can’t guarantee they won’t have any helth problims, but then, yoo takes yer chances with any cat yoo adopt — my vet bills have bin a million times higher than Babe’s, and I’m only 4 yeers old!

• Read what Dr Barchus has to say abowt FIV in the Vetblog.