Virus puts a freeze on adoption of cats

Salt Lake County Animal Services is dealing with a cat virus that will preclude the adoption of felines for the next couple of weeks.

The kennels have had some cases of feline panleukopenia virus in cats, said Lidya Hardy, animal services education specialist. The disease is sometimes known as feline distemper.

"We're being cautious," she said, explaining that a quarantine has been set up and there will be no adoptions to the public for about 14 days.

Hardy stressed it isn't a crisis situation, simply a preventive measure. The outbreak illustrates what can happen when cats are not properly vaccinated.

"It's something that does occur," she said of the disease. "That's what you get cats vaccinated for."

The disease can cause a decrease in the cat's white blood cells. Some of the symptoms include a loss of energy, depression, loss of appetite, fever and vomiting.

Animal services does vaccinate incoming cats, but in this case it was too late for it to do any good. The facility has set up special areas to house new cats, and Hardy said the shelter will be holding some extra felines in the coming weeks.

The length of the quarantine will depend on veterinary evaluations of the animals, she said.

For the next two weeks, Hardy said, animal services will promote dog adoptions more and the shelter's "pets of the week" will be two dogs instead of a dog and a cat.

• Adoption rates at animal services are $95 for dogs (and $65 for cats when those adoptions resume), which includes sterilization, vaccinations, a microchip, and free first veterinary exam.

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E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com