The Isle of Wight County Animal Shelter has had a recent outbreak of feline herpes virus, and all thirty of the cats there have been infected. The highly contagious nature of this virus places the shelter in a complicated position. The shelter must be cleaned and disinfected with no cats on the premises for a minimum of 30 days, yet it is difficult to place infected cats with families.
Dr. Betty Payne, the shelter’s veterinarian of record, has made the determination that they are all infected with the herpes virus. She cautions that infected cats should not be exposed to other cats, so any prospective adoptive families must be aware that they should not have other cats (other species of pets are not affected) and that an infected cat may require future treatment. This disease is not curable but can by managed with supportive care.
A volunteer from the Isle of Wight Humane Society has taken twelve of the current cats and another local resident has adopted one of the cats and is fostering one as well. These folks realize that the cats need special care and must be kept away from other cats that do not have the virus. The Animal Shelter is reaching out to other rescue groups in the hopes that more cats may be placed.
The shelter must find homes for the cats immediately
The cats will be available for adoption through Sunday, February 5th
Anyone interested in adopting one of these cats may call the Animal Shelter at (757) 365-6318. Hours of operation are 8:30 am- 4:00 pm Monday – Saturday, and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Sunday.
© 2012
