A deadly virus for cats has been discovered at the HoKaZo animal shelter in Uden. This is the so-called feline distemper, which is a highly contagious gastrointestinal disease. HoKazo will therefore go into lockdown for the next two weeks. Other animal centers have offered help.
The deadly virus was discovered in an animal that had just arrived at the cat shelter. To prevent more cats from becoming ill, the shelter will close for two weeks. This means that no cats will be admitted or rehomed at HoKaZo. The animal center hopes that this will prevent the virus from spreading further.
“This can be fatal for cats that have not been vaccinated,” says director Geer Hubers. He emphasizes that cats in the shelter have been vaccinated. So they are probably not in danger. But it is not yet clear whether cats newly arriving at the shelter have been vaccinated. “We certainly do not underestimate this. This is really purely prevention and security.”
Animals infected with feline distemper often suffer from diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. There are no medicines against the virus. Not every cat dies from the disease. This mainly depends on the severity of the disease and the condition of the cat. The virus is not dangerous to humans.
Help from other shelters
Other shelters in the area come to HoKaZo’s aid. They will temporarily accommodate incoming cats while the animal shelter in Uden is in lockdown.
High cost
Earlier this year, HoKaZo sounded the alarm because there was not enough money to cover all costs. Five municipalities in the region then pledged 150,000 euros in financial aid for the rest of this year.
The cat disease is once again causing the shelter to incur medical costs. “A previous infection already cost us around 80,000 euros. That is for medical costs and extra costs for cleaning, for example,” says director Hubers. He expects that the costs of cat disease will be slightly lower.
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