The county shelter is taking in no cats or kittens through Nov. 25 after a feline panleukopenia outbreak. Here is what High Point residents can do with a stray.

The Guilford County Animal Shelter has stopped taking in cats and kittens through Wednesday, Nov. 25. The county confirmed cases of feline panleukopenia virus at the shelter, a highly contagious disease that can kill kittens and unvaccinated cats.

Three of the shelter’s six intake halls are under quarantine while staff work to contain the virus. That is according to a Guilford County release issued Monday. The county called the pause a precaution to limit the spread and protect the animals already in its care.

The shelter, at 980 Guilford College Road in Greensboro, about six miles northeast of the center of High Point, is the only public, open-admission animal shelter in Guilford County, according to Guilford County Animal Services. That makes it the place a stray cat found in High Point would normally go.

What the county said about the virus

The county’s release describes feline panleukopenia, or FPV, this way:

  • It is highly contagious and strikes kittens and unvaccinated cats.
  • It strips an infected cat of its defenses against other viruses and bacteria, and it can be fatal without proper diagnosis and treatment.
  • The incubation period is 14 days.
  • Most infected cats show no symptoms. Cats that do get sick can have vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, a painful abdomen, loss of appetite or dehydration, or can die suddenly.
  • It spreads when a cat swallows virus from feces, urine, saliva or vomit, including through a shared litter box or living space.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent it, the county said. It asked owners to talk to a veterinarian about whether their cat is eligible.

The third outbreak in 13 months

This is the county’s third published FPV response since fall 2025:

When What the county did
Oct. 23, 2025 Paused cat intake through Nov. 9, 2025, after the virus was found in nine cats brought in from Greensboro
July 20, 2026 Quarantined several stray cat and kitten rooms for two weeks after an increase in cases
Nov. 9, 2026 Stopped cat and kitten intake through Nov. 25, with three of six intake halls quarantined

The November release does not say how many cats tested positive or where they came from.

What it means for you

  • If you find a stray cat in High Point, the county shelter will not take it in before Nov. 25. The county’s found pet page asks finders to check for an ID tag, get the cat scanned for a microchip at a veterinarian or groomer, post flyers where it was found and use lost-and-found pet groups online.
  • The county’s report form still works. You can report a found pet so the shelter can match it with an owner who is searching. The intake line is 336-646-2925, by call or text.
  • Keep a found cat away from your own cats if you can. The county says FPV spreads through shared litter boxes and living space, and infected cats often look healthy.
  • Check your own cat’s vaccinations with your veterinarian.
  • Lost your cat? The release does not say reclaims have stopped. Call the shelter at 336-641-3400 or email GCASInfo@guilfordcountync.gov before you drive over.
  • Adoptions: the Animal Services page still lists adoptions from noon to 4 p.m. every day except Tuesday. It does not say whether cats are available during the quarantine.
  • Animal control calls in the city go to the High Point Police Department’s animal control officers at 336-883-3224, according to the department’s animal control page.

More numbers are on our who to call at City Hall page, and our dog-friendly High Point page lists the county’s free rabies clinics.