Cat Quarantine At Gwinnett Animal Shelter To End

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A quarantine on cats at Gwinnett County's animal shelter, which was imposed after a kitten died of feline distemper, will be lifted soon, officials say.

The freeze on cat adoptions will end Monday, the Gwinnett County Animal Welfare and Enforcement Center said Friday. Staff at the shelter imposed a cat quarantine on July 1, after the kitten was found dead.

A necropsy by the University of Georgia confirmed that the kitten had the infectious disease. Symptoms of feline distemper typically manifest within two weeks. The quarantine is being lifted after no new cases of the disease appeared among cats at the shelter.

The state Department of Agriculture inspected the shelter and reviewed county animal welfare procedures and endorsed the plan to lift the quarantine. All feline pods at the shelter are scheduled to undergo deep cleaning starting Sunday.

The animal shelter currently is reaching out to rescue groups to take as many cats as possible. A "Catapalooza" adoption special is in effect through the end of July. People may adopt cats for just $10 during that time.

Adoption fees include the first round of vaccines, a microchip and spaying or neutering. Dog adoption fees also have been reduced to $30.

The shelter will begin taking in cats again on Wednesday.

For more information, visit the Gwinnett animal shelter website, call 770-339- 3200 or visit the shelter at 884 Winder Hwy. in Lawrenceville.

Photo via Gwinnett County