A Broward County animal shelter has temporarily halted taking in stray cats, aiming to prevent the spread of a potentially fatal feline disease.
A spokesperson for Broward County Animal Care, the county’s official shelter, said there are currently no confirmed cases of the virus among the 170 cats in the shelter but that at least two cats tested positive for the disease earlier this month.
“We’re asking the community to come in and adopt and foster cats and dogs,” said Zachary Rinkins, the shelter’s spokesperson. “That just gives them an opportunity to remain healthy and have a second chance, so that’s our focus at this point.”
Rinkins said the shelter recently was over its capacity for 120 cats.
Feline panleukopenia, also known as feline distemper, is highly contagious and attacks a cat’s cells in its lymph nodes, bone marrow and intestines, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. The virus is more common among kittens and can be spread through a cat’s feces and body fluid and bedding, cages and food and water bowls.
Rinkins said one cat tested positive on July 7, followed by another cat on July 11.
The Broward shelter also will be indefinitely pausing its services that involve retrieving stray cats, neutering and caring for them and returning them to the community.
Rinkins said the shelter has implemented a number of quarantine measures that will be in place until it’s been at least two weeks from the last positive case. The infected cats were restricted from the public and other animals, and shelter workers who handle the cats use personal protective equipment.
“It’s highly contagious,” Rinkins said. “So we’re making sure that we’re extra clean.”
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, infected cats may die suddenly. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, lethargy and loss of appetite.
Feline distemper is more common in the summertime, according to a news release written by the shelter. “Seasonal upticks demand aggressive action,” shelter director Doug Brightwell said in a statement. “These temporary changes are part of our proactive approach to ensure the well-being of the cats in our care and to prevent any further spread of this serious disease.”
At the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, there have been 10 cases of the virus since mid-May, but the shelter is continuing to accept cats, according to spokesperson Jan Steele.
“We’re lucky to have multiple rooms and kennels that are separated,” Steele said. “So for us it’s business as usual even though we’re in the midst of kitten season.”
As of last week, Steele said the shelter had 199 cats.