A cat that contacted calicivirus has died at the New Westminster Animal Shelter.
The City of New Westminster is taking action to contain an outbreak of the infectious viral feline disease at the shelter in Queensborough. To date, nine cats have been euthanized because of the virus and a tenth has died from the virus.
The city has been consulting with a veterinarian, who has been consulting with other veterinarians, as well as a virologist at the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture. Last week, the veterinarian asked that five cats be transported to his office for blood tests - two cats currently in the isolation room, two from the general population and the cat that is showing signs of being ill.
"All of the cats tested positive," said Dave Cole, supervisor of the city's animal control services. "The cats look healthy but they have all contracted the virus."
Cole said the shelter is continuing to isolate the cats and consult with the veterinarian and the virologist about the best course of action.
"We have to look at the comfort of the cats," he said. "We don't want the cats to suffer."
Cole said the shelter won't start receiving any more cats until it's confident the facility is 100 per cent clear of the virus.
"It starts with upper respiratory. They end up with what's like a cat cold," he said about sniffles and runny noses. "The biggest symptom they have is the ulcers. They are in their eyes, noses and mouths."
Because cats' sense of smell encourages them to eat, the ulcers are deterring the cats from eating. Some have to be force-fed water and food.
According to Cole, the virus eventually progresses to the point where some of the cats' organs begin to shut down. At that point they appear lethargic and weak.
"This is what we are fighting with ourselves. With medication we can cure the symptoms they are suffering from. But they still have the virus," he said. "It is spreadable. The symptoms they have will reoccur, or it is going to be passed on to other cats."
Cole said shelter staff, management and city council are being advised of the veterinarian and virologist's recommendations.
One of the cats whose blood was tested last week died the following night. Although it had been lethargic, Cole said it didn't appear to be suffering but was found dead in its cage when staff arrived in the morning.
"It's really tough. They are very passionate about the work they do," he said. "They love the animals."
Anyone dealing with the animals is required to wear full biohazard gear. Staff had been able to interact with dogs at the shelter, but none remain in the facility at this time.
"We had two dogs," Cole said Tuesday. "One dog has returned back to its owner. The other will be boarded until we get this resolved. We have removed it from the shelter."
According to the City of New Westminster, shelter staff first saw evidence of calicivirus on Nov. 6. When it was confirmed by a veterinarian, staff took steps to contain the outbreak, which included isolating the cat population onsite and redirecting any new cat intakes to other animal shelters in the region.
"We have been told without a host, it can live on a surface for 14 to 28 days," Cole said of the virus. "Once we have isolate the cats from the shelter, we are looking at a decontamination process."
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