Cumberland County Animal Services Suspends All Cat Adoptions
If you were thinking about adopting a cute little kitten just in time for Christmas, your plans may be changing, as Cumberland County Animal Services has put a halt on all cat adoptions.
Animal Services said in a release that all cat adoptions are on pause “until further notice after additional cases of Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV) over the last week.”
That also means there’s a limit on which cats you can take to the shelter too. “Only cats that are seriously sick, injured or have bitten someone will be accepted at the shelter until normal operations resume,” the release said.
Here’s the full release from Cumberland County Animal Services:
Cumberland County Animal Services is suspending all cat adoptions until further notice after additional cases of Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV) over the last week.
Additionally, only cats that are seriously sick, injured or have bitten someone will be accepted at the shelter until normal operations resume. No owner surrender or stray cats can enter the shelter. Residents who have found cats should either release the cat where it was found or hold it in their homes and try to locate the owner.
Animal Services halted feline adoptions and intake in October due to FPV cases. These operations resumed Nov. 1. Additional measures to reduce the risk of spreading the virus to other cats include increased cleaning protocols and protective equipment.
“By taking immediate precautions now, we hope to minimize the spread of the virus and keep down the number of affected animals,” said Animal Services Director Elaine Smith. “This is a very difficult time for everyone, and unfortunately this can happen in shelters no matter what we do.”
Shelters with positive FPV cats need to quarantine felines for a minimum of 14 days due to the incubation period for the virus. Anyone who has adopted a cat or kitten is encouraged to seek the advice of their regular veterinarian, particularly if they are showing any signs of illness.
This virus does not spread to humans or dogs. Dog adoptions will continue as normal.
“As a large, municipal shelter, there is always a high risk of contagious illness in the population and any shelter animal may have been exposed to a number of illnesses prior to entering our facility,” Smith said.
Visit the Animal Services department page at cumberlandcountync.gov/animalservices or FaceBook page at facebook.com/cumberlandcountyanimalshelter for more information.
Cute Christmas Cats
