Zane

I'm sorry to have to report another kitten death. Zane died over the weekend of Feline panleukopenia. Panleuk, as it is often called, is an extremely contagious virus of the parvovirus group, with a very high mortality rate, which often targets kittens. Although there is a vaccine for this (which your vet can administer)most street cats are of course unvaccinated and it is not diagnosable until the cat is sick.

Zane was brought to our attention by a resident at 52nd Street off Cottage Grove, an area that has a number of unfixed/unowned cats. The finder couldn't take Zane in, even though he wanted to, and we didn't have a foster space.

Here is Zane outside--underweight and wet or otherwise not properly groomed.


The finder did the responsible thing and took Zane in to the Animal Welfare League rather than leave him out on the street. We went to retrieve him a few days later when a space opened up--you can see him here from our album of cats at AWL on July 25, looking rather floofy.

Over the weekend Zane became quite lethargic and ill and was brought to the emergency vet, who determined he was too sick to be saved. We're thankful to Kedar, for not letting this little guy fend for himself on the street, to fostermom Inna and family for giving Zane probably the only home he ever had, and to Laura S., who was with him in his last hour. Zane, find our other Hyde Park Cats kitties at the Rainbow Bridge.