Kittens From San Francisco Tea House Adoption Center Diagnosed With Incurable Disease

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Cats from a popular tea house in San Francisco's Hayes Valley that's dedicated to felines have been diagnosed with an incurable viral disease, according to a published report.

Three cats from KitTea café, which works with a rescue service to encourage visitors to consider cat adoption, were diagnosed with Feline Infectious Peritonitis, or FIP.

FIP is more common in places where large groups of cats are kept together, such as shelters and adoption centers.  Cats become infected by inhaling, or ingesting the virus.

"They live here with us until they find there forever home. So it's heartbreaking when something like this happens," KitTea Cafe founder Courtney Hatt told KPIX 5.

KitTea offered the families of the adopted felines who contracted FIP the chance to adopt again, free of charge.

Veterinarian Jennifer Scarlett of the SPCA says the problem likely didn't start with KitTea.

"Is there something inhearent in Kit-Tea? No. I would probably trace it back to the shelters from which these cats came from," Scarlett said.

No one knows why some cats get it and some don't. But scientists do know when they do get it, they will die.