Lets take the focus off dogs for a bit, (which is what most of my articles have been about) and focus on cats.

What is proper animal shelter etiquette for cats?

First off, when cats are brought into an animal shelter, they are first scanned for a microchip, and then given the FVRCP vaccine. FVR stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, the C stands for Calicivirus, and the P for Panleukopenia.

Then the cat is put into a holding room separate from the adoptable cats to give the owners time to find it, and to make sure the cat doesn't have any contagious illnesses. The sad thing is, at this point the cats are so stressed, most will come down with FVR within a week, if workers are not very careful when cleaning cages. FVR is similar to a cold.

• running nose
• coughing
• sneezing
• runny eyes

For young kittens, under eight weeks, it may mean going into a foster home as soon as they come into a shelter to avoid it altogether. If you have the time, fostering kittens is allot of fun, and will most likely save them from a virus that is difficult to get rid of and often causes death. Then when they're old enough to be spayed/neutered, you bring them back to the shelter to be adopted out. Its also a great way for children to learn responsibility, especially if the kittens are bottle babies.

If a cat tests positive for calicivirus, the cat will have to be transferred out of the shelter right away, or euthanized if there are no rescues willing to take an infected cat. The symptoms are very similar to FVR but is not treatable so far as I know, and is very contagious. Some cats can live long peaceful lives with it, while others die within days. Shelters wont risk keeping a cat with calici.

Adoptable Cats: How You Can Help

If the cat is unclaimed after its hold time, and tests healthy, it will be spayed/neutered, and put up for adoption.

Volunteers are encouraged to spend time with the adoptable cats. Brushing, petting and letting them out of their cages will help the cat adjust to shelter life faster, and when people come to look at the adoptable cats will see calm, friendly cats, instead of scared stressed out cats, that the person may feel wont make a good family cat.

Remember to look for runny noses, and listen for sneezing while in the cat room, and let a employee know right away if you see a cat with symptoms of FVR ( also called an upper respiratory infection) so that cat can be separated and treated as soon as possible. If you touched the cat, wash your hands thoroughly, and maybe hang out with the shelter dogs for the rest of the day, to make sure you don't spread the virus by your clothing.

Thanks for reading

-holly