Feline URI: Two Factors That Affect Incidence in Animal Shelters

Cynthia Karsten, DVM, outreach veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, and Ann Enright, BVMS, MRCVS, shelter veterinarian at the Cat Protection Society of Victoria in Australia, explain the 2 biggest factors that affect the incidence of feline URI in animal shelters.

The first is housing—giving cats 9 square feet of floor space—which can cause stress in cats when not given. The second is how many times the cat is moved from one place to another. Cats need to be able to stay in their space and not be moved around the shelter if at all possible to lower their risk of URI.