City May Euthanize Sick Cats If They Can't Find Foster Homes Soon
By Kate Shepherd in News on Oct 2, 2015 5:06PM
Animal shelters in Chicago desperately need foster homes for cats that have been exposed feline distemper and need to be in isolation, or else they could be euthanized.
The Chicago Animal Care and Control center contacted PAWS Chicago and other no-kill animal rescue shelters after a number of cats tested positive for the highly contagious disease, also known as feline panleukopenia, according to the Tribune.
Exposed cats need seven days of isolation, preferably in a home without other cats, to cure the disease or else it can be highly contagious and deadly, the founder of PAWS Chicago Paula Fasseas told the Tribune. If they aren't isolated, they are in danger of being euthanized because of shelter overcrowding. Once the isolation is over, the cats can return to the shelter where they will be given a second round of vaccinations.
"They need to be kept in a crate away from other animals to see if they break with the virus," she said.
PAWS has secured about 40 foster homes for exposed cats and is expecting to place about 10 more cats in homes in the next few days.
"We are looking for more foster homes to place cats. There is still work to be done," she Fasseas told the Tribune. "Saving these animals is a community effort."
If you're interested in offering a temporary home to exposed cats, you can contact PAWS at foster@pawschicago.org.