Guilford County’s animal shelter has stopped taking in cats and kittens through Wednesday, Nov. 25 – the day before Thanksgiving – after confirming cases of feline panleukopenia, a highly contagious virus that’s interrupted cat intake at the shelter several times in the past three years.
Guilford County Animal Services said Monday that three of the shelter’s six intake halls will be under quarantine while staff work to contain the virus. The county didn’t say how many cats tested positive, where they came from or whether any had died. Its announcement addressed incoming cats and kittens and gave no update on cat adoptions or the county’s Stray to Foster program.
The county took a similar step almost exactly a year ago: On Oct. 22, 2025, Animal Services said nine cats brought in from parts of Greensboro, including Spry Street, Darden Road and Chadford Place, had tested positive. The shelter quarantined four of its six intake halls but initially kept taking in cats. The next day, the county announced it would stop taking cats and kittens through Nov. 9.
That was the second time in 2025 that the virus disrupted cat intake.
As the Rhino Times reported in June of that year, four kittens from the High Point and Pleasant Garden areas tested positive. The shelter closed two kitten halls, put cats already in its care under a two-week quarantine and limited new arrivals.
Shelter staff also asked people who found strays to use Stray to Foster – which lets the shelter register a found cat or kitten while the finder cares for it during the 72-hour period when an owner can come forward.
The problem goes back further. In October 2023, Animal Services Director Jorge Ortega told WXII that the shelter was seeing an unusually high number of stray cats with the virus. Staff isolated the sick cats and put intake on hold, with an exception for injured cats that needed immediate care.
Adoptions continued during that pause.
In May 2024, the shelter paused intake again after two kittens tested positive. Dr. Melina Whitaker, the county’s chief shelter veterinarian, said the kittens’ condition deteriorated and both were euthanized. The shelter quarantined 28 cats for 10 days because they’d been near the sick kittens. That meant two confirmed cases were enough to put nearly 30 other cats under observation.
And as recently as July, Animal Services reported an increase in cases in the area.
The county quarantined several rooms used for stray cats and kittens for two weeks and again encouraged finders to foster. By early August, the shelter was caring for more than 700 animals. The facility, which opened in 2021, was designed to house up to 550. Ortega said about 1,500 dogs and cats had come in during June and July alone. The county’s November announcement didn’t give a current shelter population.
One reason a few cases can disrupt so much of a shelter is that a cat can spread the virus even before it looks sick. The ASPCA says symptoms usually show up two to seven days after exposure but can take up to two weeks. The virus can travel on litter boxes, bedding, carriers and even the hands or clothing of people who’ve handled an infected cat.
Cornell University’s Feline Health Center says the virus can survive indoors for months without proper disinfection.
Kittens and unvaccinated cats are especially vulnerable. Signs can include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite and dehydration.
Vaccination is the best protection, and the county advises owners to talk with their veterinarian about whether their cat is due for a shot.
If you find a stray cat or kitten during the pause, call or text the shelter’s intake staff at 336-646-2925 before heading over. The county also has an online form for reporting found pets so that staff can help look for an owner.
