I volunteer at the local animal shelter, and I also foster cats who are too small or too sick to be adopted yet. The two most common ailments that corrupt their little systems are conjunctivitis and upper-respiratory congestion. These end up in a cat's history, and I sometimes see it cause hesitation in potential adopters.
The reason its so common for cats to have such ailments in the shelter is because of their position. They are constantly in contact with other cats and their fur. I know my shelter is cleaned top to bottom each morning, lots of mops and soap, but that does not prevent the cats from shedding. With being so close together in the not-completely-clean air affects them.
If you wish to adopt and see a history of conjunctivitis or upper-respiratory congestion, please note that when you take that cat home, they will most likely be in a much cleaner environment that will provide them with good health. Do not let these deter you from adopting.
On that note, there are other illnesses that probably won't creep up again. Just because I mentioned two specifically doesn't mean that other sick cats should not be considered. Ask a vet or someone who works at the shelter what they expect from the cat. If it's not something serious, such as FIV, or if their not extremely old with teeth problems, they could very well be sick cats who will recover and be ready for adoption.
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Thanks for your note on my blog. I'm a big animal person, too. I volunteer at local spay/neuter clinics, and I went down to New Orleans after the hurricane and did animal rescue/triage at the huge shelter they created there. It's nice to see your blog.
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