Oshkosh Area Humane Society pauses cat surrenders due to virus

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WISS) – Recently, a stray cat brought to the Oshkosh Area Humane Society (OAHS) tested positive for Panleukopenia, also called feline distemper.

It is a highly contagious, potentially fatal disease in cats. So, the shelter is pausing cat surrenders for the time being. 

Panleukopenia

Ieva Engel, executive director of OAHS, said, “ Unfortunately, we did have one kitty at the shelter who passed away from Panleukopenia. And we had one kitty who was in foster care pass away from Panleukopenia. Being that it’s a very, very contagious illness and can be very dangerous for especially kittens under five months of age. We immediately enacted our protocol for how to deal with an outbreak of this sort because it can spread extremely, extremely fast.”

Engel said the staff veterinarian conducted an immediate risk assessment of all the cats at the shelter that could have been exposed to the virus. Many of the “at-risk” kittens and cats are in quarantine for two weeks. 

While the shelter is not accepting surrenders at this time, they are still taking in stray animals. 

“We are still taking in strays, though, because we’re contracted with multiple municipalities, including Oshkosh, of course, for taking in stray animals,” Engel said. “So we’re still honoring all of those. However, the owner surrenders, we’re currently wait listing temporarily. So we can get this under control.”

If you find a stray cat, please contact the shelter or the Oshkosh Police Department before bringing it in.  

If you need to surrender your cat, please call to be put on a waiting list for when surrender intake reopens.  The intake department can be reached at (920) 424-2128 ext 114.  

Engel emphasized that all animals at OAHS are vaccinated, so there are many available for adoption.

“We also have cats that we know we’re not in contact at all with those two kitties that are all fully vaccinated. All our cats are fully vaccinated for Panleukopenia, right? So they are available on the adoption floor… Please come check them out. They’re wonderful cats,” she said.

Oshkosh Area Humane Society Full For Fall

In the meantime, the shelter is full of felines. A recent count showed OAHS had 151 cats in care. Some are kittens in foster care; some are strays that are still on hold; others are medical holds; and the remaining are on the adoption floor. 

 ”It’s impacting shelter purely from workflow standpoint, and that is just very, very busy,” Engel said. “As we’re taking in new cats, we’re struggling finding a spot for them on the adoption floor, so it’s disrupting our operations that way.”

Engel said that from the City of Oshkosh alone, the shelter takes in approximately 700 stray animals a year. Add that to the other municipalities and areas served by OAHS, and the numbers can be staggering.

Adopt a Purr-ever Friend

To view photos, videos, and bios of adoptable cats, visit the Oshkosh Area Humane Society available cats‘ page.

There is no adoption fee for cats at OAHS. They only ask adopters to pay the cost for the microchip, rabies vaccination, and animal licence within the City of Oshkosh. Without the license, the fees are $45. With the license, the costs are $50.

Due to many factors, including economic hardship, shelters across the U.S., including OAHS, continue to be overwhelmed with the number of animals needing their help, and are seeing more lengthy stays for many of their adoptable pets. 

More information about OAHS can be found at the OAHS website.