ALACHUA COUNTY - A major cat-astrophe has been narrowly avoided at the Alachua County Animal Shelter.

After last month's deadly viral outbreak among five kittens, the staff was forced to stop receiving new cats and adopting existing cats out for a week.

But Wednesday, animal service officials say there more than 100 cats are healthy, virus-free and ready to be adopted.

Staffers say the cats were cleared after each one was examined and had blood work taken by a University of Florida veterinarian team led by Dr. Julie Levy.

In July, the virus, Panleukopenia, was discovered in a recently-arrived kitten.

Animal service officials say the virus is highly contagious and had the potential to jeopardize the entire cat population.

But after the testing, the veterinarian team determined that only the kitten and its four siblings had the virus. Three of the kittens died and two had to be euthanized.

With the virus threat contained, veterinarians say they now face a new problem: the shelter is now full, and they're in need of residents to start adopting.

To adopt animals, visit the Alachua County Animal Services Headquarters at 3400 NE 53rd Ave. It is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.