Some researchers such as Morone & Weiner (2013) think that pain should be considered the "fifth vital sign", along with temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate. However, when you think about a cute little creature with feline leukemia, there should be another, most important vital sign: love. Most veterinaries should immediately consider euthanasia for a FelV+ cat, but they never consider how much you can love your cat. When Opus made it to my home, in early 2013, I never thought I would develop such an intense feelings towards him. It was until I discovered that he would rather sleep in my scattered clothing than in a very comfortable cat bed that I discovered how much he loved me back. I don't mind if Opus will make it for years or a couple of months, but the time I spend with him, and the time that my other cat, Mefisto, spends with him, is vital for us. I will not euthanize Opus unless he is in pain. But thanks to TCyte, http://tcyte.com/ he has remained symptomless for almost a year now.

Mefisto and Opus decided to keep their distance from each other at first.

And then he turned into a beautiful feline!

Little Opus as I met him...

Poor Opus was in quarantine until we were sure that Mefisto was not infected.

Opus got TCyte in April 2013. So happy about it!

Opus story

Opus was some two months old when I first held him in my arms. He was the sweetest cat I had ever seen. Unfortunately, he tested positive for feline leukemia. The decision to keep him or put him to sleep was hard, since I have another cat, a beautiful black beast named Mefisto (now he is twelve years old). I had many sleepless nights until I found out that a new treatment for leukemia was available in the United States (http://tcyte.com/). The story of how I was able to bring TCyte to Mexico was also incredible, but I made it and Opus had his firs round of treatment at the beginning of 2013. Since then, he has remained totally healthy, except for a minor problem with gingivitis that is easily treated with some gel and antibiotics if needed. Another round of TCyte started today and I feel very optimistic that Opus and Mefisto will live together for a long time.
By the way, Mefisto tested negative for leukemia, so the mainstream idea that a FelV positive cat must be euthanized immediately seems now ridiculous to me. They deserve a chance to live. Just look at how happy they look together!