Highly contagious virus forces Charlotte animal shelter to turn away cats for now
A virus is spreading within a Charlotte-area animal shelter’s kittens, and because of it, other cats are not being accepted. So far, five kittens have been euthanized.
Within the past week, some kittens have become infected with panleukopenia at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police’s Animal Care and Control, officials said.
The health of the five infected kittens quickly declined after they were diagnosed Friday, humane education specialist Julia Conner told The Charlotte Observer by email.
Panleukopenia is a highly contagious, life-threatening disease that affects cats and dogs.
Among cats, the disease also is known as feline distemper or feline parvo, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The most at risk for the virus are the shelter’s kittens, which have not yet been vaccinated for the disease, the shelter posted on Facebook. Most kittens receive the vaccine at four weeks, according to UC Davis’s Shelter Medicine program.
As part of a 14-day quarantine, the shelter’s nursery and some of its adoption kennels are closed to the public. The shelter also is not accepting any new cats at this time.
“Because this virus spreads so quickly, we are encouraging anyone who finds orphaned kittens who need to be bottle fed to consider fostering them through our foster program and not bring them to our shelter,” the shelter said. “You will be placing these kittens at risk if you do.”
Signs of feline panleukopenia that pet owners should look for include vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, anorexia and lethargy.
Kittens with a mother or are eating on their own could be turned away, the shelter said.
Anyone looking to surrender their cats and kittens should consider posting on re-homing websites, shelter officials said.
Some cats and kittens are still available for adoption at the shelter, if they have received their vaccines and were in an area with lower levels of exposure, Conner said. The shelter will provide education on the virus to those adopting these cats, she said.
Through July 31, all pets are free to adopt with a donation because of Bissell Pet Foundation’s Empty the Shelters campaign, Conner said.
