Featured shelter pet: Mack, the FIV positive black cat

In honor of National Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week, here’s another super pet looking for a forever home!

This is Mack, a 3 1/2 year old kitty who’s currently being fostered by Black Cat Rescue in Boston. Not only is he at a disadvantage when it comes to finding a home because he’s a black cat (black cats are about half as likely to be adopted as cats of other colors), but he’s also FIV positive.

According to Best Friends Animal Society, the Feline Immuno-deficiency Virus (FIV) is a slow virus that affects a cat’s immune system over a period of years. It can be spread through blood transfusions, badly infected gums, or serious, penetrating bite wounds, the kind that occur in wild roaming cats; rarely do neutered house cats inflict these kinds of wounds on each other. That means that Mack won’t likely spread the disease to other cats. FIV is not transmissible to humans or dogs.

A cat with FIV can live a  long life, but does need some extra care to stay as healthy as possible and avoid secondary infections. That means a cat like Mack will need a family who can give him lots of love. That shouldn’t be difficult, since this guy isn’t just handsome – he’s super sweet!

If you have lots of love to give to this awesome kitty, contact Black Cat Rescue at adopt@blackcatrescue.com. You can learn more about Mack on the Black Cat Rescue website.