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Is it okay to keep my FIV positive cat confined to one room?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 9 lbs

Is it animal cruelty to confine Winnie an Fiv positive cat to one room? I let her run around the house once my other cat Ellie is confined in her play room. Usually an hour maybe two depending on how bad Ellie wants out. I could rehome Ellie but I've had her 2 years and to take Winnie to a shelter would just confine her to a cage and maybe euthanized. Im just looking for peace of mind. though she's confined to a room I feel it's better than being stray or a shelter cat. am I wrong?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on December 19th, 2016

No, it's not cruel to keep Winnie confined in one room if this is what you need to do - many cats have living arrangements like this, and can still have a good quality of life as long as you spend time with her each day and she has a comfortable living area. I would definitely agree that it's a much nicer option for her than living as a stray or being taken to a shelter. For what it's worth, FIV is really only transmitted to other cats through deep bite wounds, not casual contact like grooming or sharing food or water bowls. So if she and Ellie get along, there's really no reason that you need to keep them separated - many cat owners have an FIV+ cat who is loose in the house with their other cats, with no problems at all. Just a thought, in case this is something you want to consider :)

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 19th, 2016

    It's really not ideal, I think the best solution would be to rehome Ellie, you can't confine her to one room for life, it's not fair for her, on the other hand you can't keep them together as Ellie will run a high chance to get infected with FIV.

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