Can someone please help me

WOW! Euthanized because of Ringworm and URIs?? There would go my Lucky and Bugsy!!
What are you doing in regards to the ringworm? Anything? And about the URIs? Are they sick right now??
Also, where are you located? How old are the kittens? are they vaccinated? spayed?

It's also contagious to humans.

The ringworm cats need systemic treatment - I believe there is medication they can take ... topical may not be enough. It takes a long time to get rid of it.

I don't know anyone in the Chicago area. Do you have a friendly vet who can help - with meds, etc.?

I talked 2 my landlord (he stops by frequently otherwise I wouldn't have even asked) & because were only renting the house he won't allow anymore animals as we already have 2 cats & a dog - I'm SO sorry I feel so bad I wish there was something I could do 2 help

Keeping them in seperate rooms will not prevent the transmission from cat to cat. Even if you wear something over your clothes, when you come out of that room, there can be spores on you which enter the environment. If they don't enter the environment from your body, they can enter via the heating/cooling system, the breeze that occurs when you open the door, etc.

I'm telling you this in hopes that maybe some education on RW might help her keep the cats. If her cats were going to catch RW, they would have or will catch it. But if her cats are healthy, with good immune systems it is possible that they will NOT catch it.

This is very sad indeed.

Contact Tree House Humane Society, 1212 W. Carmen, Chicago
Phone: 773-784-5488

www.treehouseanimals.org

It's a wonderful cageless shelter for sick, neglected, or stray cats and kittens.

Crossing my fingers you get your little guys in there.

Another contact to try is Best Friends Animal Society: www.bestfriends.org
Located in Utah, they operate what may be the largest animal sanctuary in the US. Best Friends has a national network of people who help animals, by fostering, trapping ferals for TNR, etc. Call them at 435-644-2001 - they may have someone in the network who lives in Chicago who might be able to help. If not, ask them for advice, recommendations on what else you can do.


Still hoping Tree House will come through for you.

Yes, do keep trying. There are several numbers listed, so try all. I see that Tree House has a second branch, Bucktown, and a spay/neuter clinic. There are contact numbers for all of them. Adoption hours at Tree House start at 12pm today, so the staff will be there.

Don't forget that Utah is 2 hours earlier than Chicago time, so you will probably be able to speak with someone later. Your best bet, of course, is Tree House.

In the meantime, pull out all the stops with the woman who has the cats. Tell her how hard you're trying to place them. Remind her that the conditions the foster cats have are very common and treatable, and you'll take care of her cats if they should catch anything.

I'm amazed that someone who has cats and would offer to foster the kittens would insist you remove them knowing they'll be put down. It doesn't make sense.

I see that the shelter you got the cats from also has a treatment and rehab center. On their website they discuss treating cats for URIs. I don't understand why they won't treat for ringworm as well. Surely these are not the first cats to contract ringworm that have come through the shelter. Do they automatically euthanize all cats with this condition? Seems absurd to me. And what is going on with the 4 year old who needs an amputation?! What exactly happened to his leg? Why hasn't the shelter given him medical care for that?

Is there any way at all you could keep these cats yourself for just one day? On Monday, find a vet that would be willing to treat and board them. It would probably be expensive, but it would be worthwhile to look into. If you explained the situation, the vet might give you a discount or agree to a payment plan. If the cats are boarded, it will give you some more time to try to place them in another foster home. Ask the vet techs if they'd be willing to foster one or two of them once their treatment is done. Most techs have good hearts and plenty of them have given homes to animals who were abandoned at the vets, or were going to be put down. It won't hurt to ask.

Decide how far you're willing to travel to save these cats, and call all shelters within that radius.

I'm surprised your neighbor offered to take 5 cats since she has her own cats and only a small place. Give her the info you've gotten here about ringworm - keep reminding her that should her cats get it, it's treatable. It's a nuisance, but it's not life threatening, and it will go away. If she's still insisting that the cats go back, ask her to take them to the shelter herself.
I know that sounds mean, but so is what she's asking you to do. I understand she's feels overwhelmed, but frankly it sounds like you're doing all the work and all she's doing is overreacting. She offered to help - she should honor that commitment especially because of the gravity of the situation. Will she be able to sleep at night knowing that she sent these cats to their deaths?

I have really sick fosters that are just getting better and have not yet disinfected my house from them. Your cats' immune systems could not withstand another illness-!

Ringworm is contagious but it only gets really horrible if it breaks out where there are huge numbers of cats in one place, like Anti-Cruelty.

If anyone has a basement where they can be, or an area that doesn't have high household traffic or can be cordoned off, like a guest room, it should be fine. All you need to do is take off your shoes when entering and have a pair inside to wear, or use removeable shoe covers, wear latex gloves, vacuum frequently, use hand sanitizer after leaving and be careful about clothing. And do laundry more often.

If they were out in the wild, it would self heal. It is just that they are in a house and precautions need to be taken.

If you take them back to Anti-Cruelty, they will euthanize them immediately. And they will euthanize all the other cats that came from the ward where those cats originally came from, that is, if they have not done that already.

For people that don't know about Anti-Cruelty, it was originally set up to take cats from Chicago Animal Care and Control, but over time has become like another city pound, except not as bad. It is a kill shelter in the heart of Chicago and has a HUGE turnover of dogs and cats daily. Those cats will die immediately if they go back.

Every shelter in Chicago is full up and overloaded. I don't know any shelter that will take ringworm cats unless they have a special needs foster home for cats that are ill. And will all the URI going around I'm sure any homes like those are full too.

You are dipping them and that is the best, quickest, treatment for them- really fantastic on your part, because it is hard to do.

I have never ever heard of such thing - chronic URI destroying the legs ligaments??? I would definitely go to another vet - IMO that is weird to say the least. So, his leg still needs to be amputated? What was the diagnostic?
That's just ridiculous, since almost all shelter cats will have URIs anyways... IMO nothing that L-Lysine treatment can't manage.
About the ringworm: Can you start them on oral medication? maybe the shelter can help you with that? IMO that's going to be the quickest way to cure them.
Another question: Can you keep some of them, and your neighbor the rest? Is there a reason why they are not with you?

What she is saying about Anti-Cruelty is true, they are a large kill shelter in Chicago and if they get any outbreak of URI or other illness they put the animals down. They will euthanize a whole ward. The only way the animals can get out once they are ill is if anther shelter takes them or if people like cpm1 rescue them.

oh, I don't doubt it is true; nevertheless still ridiculous! And their name is anti-cruelty? go figure!

Oh no. I just read this thread, though there isn't much I could have done from here. My heart is broken for these cats and the OP. I'm very sorry.

Between what you and BarbB have written about that shelter, it sounds like they may as well close the place down. I think the cats have a better chance of survival on the street. Anti-Cruelty, and yeah that name is more than ironic, appears to be nothing more than a death camp for cats. What an awful shame.

cpm1, you're wonderful to be trying so hard to save the lives of these cats. I've also never heard of a URI destroying leg ligaments - I'll have to look into that. I'm very impressed and glad that you would go to the trouble and expense of getting a second opinion for Cody. Only someone whose heart and soul is in rescue would do that.

Your best bet obviously, is to convince your neighbor to keep the cats. There are no immediate alternatives today - maybe tomorrow though. And there's no reason anyone needs to know how many cats are in the apartment, and certainly no one needs to know what health conditions they have. She wouldn't be the first person to keep more than is allowed. Cat are easy to "hide". The only problem would be if the landlord made surprise inspections of the apartment, and I don't think that's legal.

Why don't you have her join TCS and talk to the members about her concerns? If she sees the number of people who have dealt successfully with this condition, and there are many, it should ease her fears. There are lots of feline health issues to be frightened about, unfortunately. Ringworm is not one of them.

I am so very sorry for what you are having to go through. for you and those you try to save.

For an extra boost to the immune system that vets use to help URI associated with feline herpes is to give L-lysine supplement. I believe you need to get it without any added ingredients or chemicals. Pure L-lysine. You can crush a tablet and mix it in all meat baby food that contains no onion/garlic powder. This could only help and at the least not hurt anything.

Hoping there is a better choice for them soon.