Feline Respiratory Infections in Animal Shelters

Contagious respiratory infections are the most common cause of illness in cats in shelters and the most difficult to prevent or manage. These infections represent a significant and frequent drain on shelter resources, including treatment costs, staff time, and staff morale. Holding cats for treatment and recovery adds to the number of animal care days until adoption, which in turn impacts the holding capacity for the shelter and contributes to potential for crowding. Many shelters have accepted cats with respiratory infections as “endemic” problem that is a “fact of life” in shelters. In many cases, the number of affected cats and the severity of disease have caused temporary closure and depopulation to achieve a clean slate for starting over. These situations not only impact animal health and welfare, but also attract unfavorable scrutiny by the media and community.