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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/cat-fiv-bites

What is the most common way FIV spreads from one cat to another?

Through a cat bite.

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  1. Sharing a scratching post
  2. Breathing the same air
  3. A cat bite ✔

Why: FIV is in an infected cat's saliva, and bite wounds from fights are the usual route. That is one reason it is much more common in outdoor cats.

Huh, didn't know that: iCatCare says many infected cats can live happily with the virus for a long time.

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What do you call a cat who loves to bowl? An alley cat.
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References

Answer: A cat bite. FIV is in an infected cat's saliva, and bite wounds from fights are the usual route. That is one reason it is much more common in outdoor cats.

  1. iCatCare, Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) icatcare.org/articles/feline-immunodeficiency-virus-fiv
    The most common way for the virus to be spread from one cat to another is via a cat bite.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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