The Lubbock Animal Shelter is quarantining its cats after one of them was diagnosed with a highly contagious virus.
“Panleukopenia or Feline Distemper is similar to Parvo in dogs,” said Steven Greene, director of the Lubbock Animal Center. “About 70 percent of animals live through it even though they have the virus for the rest of their lives.”
One of the cats has died of the disease so far, but the shelter is doing its best to stay ahead of it.
“It was a kitten that tested positive, and it passed away,” said Greene. “We went ahead and quarantined the rest of the animals to make sure it doesn’t spread.”
The shelter is also putting extra emphasis on making sure all the cat pens are extremely clean.
“It can be highly contagious, but we do have strict protocols for cleaning like body suits and gloves, so that whatever contamination is in there does not go around,” said Greene.
The virus cannot infect people, but it can be deadly for your cat, and animals who are not fully vaccinated are the ones most at risk.
“The public doesn’t need to worry about their own safety and health, but for the safety of their cats,” said Greene. “If you have a cat that is not vaccinated than they are at risk, and really need to be taken to a vet.”
