Research overview: lifelong management of FIV-positive cats

Modern guidance frames FIV as a manageable chronic infection rather than a death sentence. Recommendations center on keeping infected cats indoors to prevent spread and reduce exposure to pathogens, neutering, providing high-quality nutrition, scheduling regular veterinary checks, and treating secondary infections promptly and aggressively. Dental and oral disease, especially gingivostomatitis, requires particular attention. With good care many FIV-positive cats live for many years with normal quality of life. This overview synthesizes management guidelines rather than one paper, explaining why early intervention on secondary problems drives outcomes, why euthanasia at diagnosis is discouraged, and how owner education has shifted the prognosis narrative for these cats over the decades since the virus was discovered.