It has been brought to my attention again the paranoia about leukemia. I will be the first to attest to how devastating leukemia is at times and that it should be avoided if at all possible. But the notion that it is highly contagious is still floating around, though it has been proven time and again that it is not nearly as contagious as once thought. In my case, I had 3 other cats, all interacting and eating/drinking out of the same dishes. None of those three got the disease. I think there is also a misunderstanding that if exposed, a cat will definitely get leukemia. The fact is that most cats' immune systems will defeat the virus. Very few who are exposed are unable to fight it off. This does NOT mean I think leukemia should be taken lightly at all, but it should also not be treated with hysteria.