a heartbreaking story... :(

[Kirsten]

A friend of mine posted a link in my cat forum, it's about a non-killing shelter in Oregon that had to shut down due to an outbreak of panleukopenia, and most of the kittens and cats there have been killed now.

The sad story behind this is that my friend had adopted two cats from there who got terribly ill a couple of days later. Before that happened, she has brought a stray from her backyard and her kittens to that shelter for adoption and for a better chance, and the mommy cat has most likely been pregnant again.

Now she's feeling bad for these kitties because she thinks they would have been better off as strays and that she has turned them over to their death now! AND she's also fearing for her two resident cats who have been NOT vaccinated against panleukopenia as she found out when she checked their certificates. She has believed they have been vaccinated.

I'm feeling so terribly sorry for her - and for all those poor kitties who have lost their lives! It's so sad!

Kirsten

[DJFyrewolf36]

[AmberLee]

How heartbreaking.

[rg_girlca]

Oh how sad.
Kirsten please tell your friend not to feel guilty or bad for taking mama and her kittens to the shelter. She was doing a very good deed and there was NO WAY she could have known what was going to happen.
I hope and pray that her two cats will be okay.


Rest in Peace to all the poor kitties that had to be PTS.
Have fun on RB little ones.

[Tonya]

That is horrible! I am so sorry to hear that.

[heinz57_79]

How horrible! What a sad situation.... Tell your friend nothing is her fault, as unfortunate as it all is. I hope everything is ok with her kitties...

[catcrazylady]

That is so heartbreaking and so sad when all your friend tried to do was the right thing.

[moosmom]

Kirsten,

Your friend shouldn't feel bad. She had absolutely no way of knowing that was going to happen.

Panleukopenia, aka Feline Distemper is fatal to cats and is highly contagious. It stays airborne for up to 1 year if the shelter is not cleaned properly with and ONLY with Chlorox brand bleach and hot water.

I had an outbreak of it in my spare room when I lived in CT. I had taken in 2 mamas with kittens. One set went to my friends house for fostering. Well, ALL of them came down with it and died within a week. I was devastated, as was my friend, because she ended up putting 2 of the kittens in with another lactating mother (their mama bit me and had to be quarantined at the vet for 2 weeks). The lactating mama and HER kittens caught it as well and they all died. It's a very bad disease.


I'm sorry for your friend. It effects kittens more because their immune systems aren't fully developed. Older cats can fight it off.

[catmandu]

There is no earthly way,that your Friend,could have realised,what was going to happen.That is sad,about those Poor cats,I guess that the Cat Angel Army,sadly ,will have more enlistees!

[Kirsten]

Thanks everyone!

I hope I can talk to my friend at the weekend. During the time difference, we cannot talk during the week.

BTW, I think so far her resident cats are without any symptoms, so I hope at least the two babies are fine!!

Kirsten