Re: 5/15 Jupiter PMPS/289 opinions on dose/civie sick?
I 3rd the anal glands. I do My civvie's at home, but she is relatively easy to do.
As for the FIV+, talk to your vet and read around. Leo is FIV+ and he is allowed to mingle with the other cats (well, we have some completely unrelated integration issues, especially with a new cat). FIV+ tends to spread through deep bites and puncture wounds, which is how he was infected (cat fight outside before we brought him in and 11 stitches on the tail from the bite). Transmission is very much less likely from batting each other, even with claws extended. I just read some studies of infection spread in large cat facilities, and it was pretty darned small ... I can look for them if you PM me. Recommendation is to keep the cats separated if you absolutely want no transmission, but cats in a stable social structure in the house tend not to become infected.
If you get the vaccination, then the cat will likely test positive for FIV+ from then on out, even though it doesn't have FIV *at that point*. Then you will never know if the cat were to become FIV until symptoms are quite advanced (although arguably that is why you get the vaccine in the first place). The vaccine is not always successful. However, if the cat ever gets out and is picked up and ends up in a shelter, unless it is no-kill, the cat will be put to sleep because it is assumed the cat is FIV+. One alternative is to put on his collar something to the effect that he is NOT FIV+
Anyway, it is a decision that we had to make, and we decided to really work the integration issues with all the cats. Yes, the other 2 cats may become infected. But they are out forever cats and will be well cared for. If we decided no to keep Leo when we get his DX, he would have been put to sleep. And Mako, who we just adopted, would still be in a shelter. I rationalize it this way ... if Mako is infected, he still gets many more years of quality life than he otherwise might have gotten in a shelter situation.
Well, sorry, I didn't mean to soap-box there, but there is some thinking to do on the topic.