Behind one door at the Northern Nevada SPCA are some of Reno's saddest cats. Inside this sterilized room, Fish and chips, Carlton, Pork Chop, Spoof, Carmen, Macy and Diana would love to be out playing, but they're in isolation. They are among 24 cats waiting in cages. The culprit is ringworm. But even though it’s very contagious, ringworm is not really a worm...and not as scary as it sounds. As Jill Vacchina Dobbs, the SPCA’s executive director told me, "All it is, is a curable infection similar to a rash."
The cats get treated in this room, but they have to stay in there for 3 long weeks. Jill says, "We have to have 2 negative tests back to back in order for them to be considered cured of this treatable infection, and then we put them on the adoption floor."
Once they get to that point, you can imagine how starved they are for human attention. For that reason, they often make the most loving pets you can find. Once they get released from 21 days alone in a cage, they're very eager to enjoy life. Jill says “They're often our most excited and social kitties because they're so thrilled to be back out in the world. And as soon as people come by to adopt them, they're often reaching out of the cages and trying to give high-fives so that they can go home and live their lives."
So far 26 cats here have "graduated". Our SPCA has a goal: cure 100 cats from ringworm this year, then adopt them all out. Our special Pet Of The Week, "Fore," also had a tough beginning. A rescue from rural Nevada, she was too small to live in the shelter, so she was sent to a foster home. As Jill put it, “Similar to the ringworm program, which is saving lives that otherwise are at risk, our foster program allows us to save these tiny babies. And so she has been through it, and loved and socialized in a home, and now she is here waiting for her family to come and adopt here."
"Fore" is now big enough for a forever home. As for her personality...she's a typical feisty feline, and just big enough for a forever home: "As you can see, she wants to get down and she's looking at all these other kitties. Super playful high energy kitten, adorable, she has green eyes and is all black. So, very playful and fun."
About that ringworm, it is rarely seen in dogs as they have stronger immune systems. Cats are more fragile. The ringworm program is made possible with a grant from “Maddie’s Fund.” And the cat count at the SPCA of Northern Nevada now stands at 40, with 40-plus now in foster care.
The SPCA is looking for more foster homes. If you can help, we have a link to find out more below:
