10/16/2026
💔🍄 RINGWORM: THE UNWANTED GUEST THAT REFUSES TO GET THE HINT. 🍄💔
Well, friends. Here we are again.
And quite frankly, we are about two fungal spores away from losing our collective minds. 😭
Fried’s Cat Shelter will unfortunately be CLOSED to the public this weekend.
Since AUGUST, we have been fighting what feels like the world’s longest, most exhausting, most emotionally draining battle against ringworm.
We have cleaned. We have scrubbed. We have disinfected. We have dipped cats. We have administered medications. We have followed strict protocols. We have worked closely with veterinarians. We have researched, adjusted, monitored, and done absolutely EVERYTHING humanly possible to send this microscopic menace packing.
At this point, if determination alone could kill ringworm, we would have eradicated it from the face of the planet.
And the worst part?
WE WERE SO CLOSE. 💔
After months of exhausting work, we were finally down to just a few recovering cats. Things were looking up. We were starting to breathe again. We could practically see the finish line.
Apparently, ringworm saw it too and decided to turn around and slap us directly in the face.
We have now discovered a few new cases.
Before anyone panics, we want to make something VERY clear:
These cases are STILL contained within the SAME general section of our building where we have been battling ringworm. It has NOT spread into other sections of the shelter. We have worked incredibly hard to maintain that containment, and we intend to keep it that way.
Because of our building’s layout, keeping visitors separated from certain areas sometimes means temporarily ushering people outside. With this weekend’s weather, that simply isn’t a reasonable option. So, as much as we hate doing it, closing for the weekend is the best way to maintain our precautions.
And now, if we can be completely transparent for a moment…
We are exhausted.
Not just physically. Emotionally.
It is heartbreaking to pour your entire heart into something, to do everything you possibly can, to watch your hard work finally pay off, and then have the rug pulled out from underneath you.
Our staff has spent months fighting for these cats. Months of treatments, cleaning, worrying, hoping, and doing it all over again the next day.
And sometimes, despite doing everything right, things still go wrong.
We wish we could explain to ringworm that it is not welcome here, that its lease expired MONTHS ago, and that we would very much appreciate it getting the hell out of our building.
Unfortunately, fungus is apparently immune to eviction notices.
But here’s what it isn’t immune to:
A group of incredibly stubborn people who love these cats too much to quit. ❤️
So we’ll keep going. We’ll keep cleaning. We’ll keep treating. We’ll keep working with our veterinarians. We’ll keep doing whatever it takes.
Because behind every frustrating treatment, every exhausting day, and every setback are cats who depend on us. Cats who deserve to be healthy, safe, loved, and eventually curled up on someone’s couch in their forever homes.
And they are worth it.
Every. Single. One.
To everyone who has supported us, encouraged us, donated, adopted, or simply offered a kind word through this absolute fungal nightmare, THANK YOU.
We could really use some extra love right now.
Ringworm may have won another round, but it has severely underestimated how stubborn a bunch of exhausted cat people can be. 🐈❤️
With love, frustration, and a lingering aroma of lime sulfur,
The Fried’s Cat Shelter Team 💔🐾
