Overview
- The Tierheim Duisburg announced a temporary stop to all cat intake on Saturday after staff reported a suspected case of feline parvovirus, and the ban covers surrenders, found animals and seizure cases.
- Shelter officials say diagnostic tests are pending and they are acting out of caution until PCR or other results confirm whether the virus is present.
- Staff are arranging alternative care for resident cats, asking the public for support, and directing injured or urgent cases to the Tierklinik Asterlagen and Tierklinik Kaiserberg.
- The decision increases pressure on already crowded shelters in North Rhine-Westphalia, which limits options to isolate sick animals and to rehome healthy ones.
- Parvovirus attacks the gut and immune system, often causing severe vomiting and bloody diarrhea in kittens, and vaccination is the primary way to protect young and unvaccinated cats.