08/21/2026
So how is feline leukemia virus transmitted? FeLV is shed in saliva and urine, so itâs spread through close contact with an infected cat. Queens grooming kittens; tom cats fighting over territory; and cats sharing litterboxes, food dishes, and toys are all ways FeLV spreads from cat to cat.
Luckily, FeLV virus doesnât survive for long outside of the host. It can be destroyed by disinfectants, soap, heat, and dryness.
In fact, keeping infected cats separated from UNinfected cats was a very important way of slowing the spread of FeLV during the 1970s and early 1980s, before the FeLV vaccine was developed.
This is why animal shelters test all stray cats and kittens for FeLV before they are introduced to the general shelter population or adopted out!
