The New Coronavirus and Cats: What You Should Know

The novel coronavirus, now known as COVID-19 or 2019n-COV, has caused great concern around the world. Depending on which news outlet you follow, your reaction may range from normal awareness to outright alarm. For cat parents, a big worry is whether the virus could affect cats.

Both WHO (World Health Organization) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) have stated that at present, there is no evidence that any pets have been infected or spread the virus, although both acknowledge that this is a developing situation. We simply don’t know enough about this virus yet.

Earlier this week, the One Health Committee of the WSAVA, a global community of more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide, issued a set of guidelines for veterinary professionals to help them offer advice to concerned clients. I’d like to share some of the points to hopefully help you ease some concerns and increase your understanding of the current situation.

There is no data to date that dogs and cats can become infected with the new corona virus.

Can COVID-19 affect domestic animals?

According to WSAVA, there is currently no evidence that pets can be infected, nor is their evidence that pets might be a source of infection to people.

Should I avoid contact with my cat or other animals if I’m sick?

If you think you might have been infected, you should avoid contact with your cat and other animals. Since several types of known corona viruses can cause illness in animals and spread between animals and people, until more is known about COVID-19, WSAVA recommends wearing a face mask if you’re sick to protect your cat from the possibility of disease transmission.

What are the concerns about pets that have been in contact with people who have been infected with COVID-19?

While this virus seems to have originated from an animal source, it is now spreading from person to person. At this time it is not known how sustainably this virus is spreading between people. There is no data to date that dogs and cats can become infected with the new corona virus.

What should I do if my cat gets sick after being around a person infected with COVID-19?

If your cat gets sick after being around a person with COVID-19, contact your veterinarian before bringing your cat into the clinic so clinic staff can take proper precautions.

You can read the full WSAVA guidelines here.

More resources about COVID-19 and pets

Can Pets Contract Coronavirus and Vice Versa?

This is an excellent article by Dr. Niels Pedersen, DVM, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Director of the Center for Companion Animal Health and Director of the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Pedersen is best known in cat circles for his groundbreaking FIP research.

WHO Q&A on Coronaviruses

CDC FAQ on COVID-19

Given that this is a developing situation, the best advice I can give you is to remain informed, but don’t panic. I agree with feline veterinarian Dr. Andrea Tasi, the owner of Just Cats, Naturally, who says that at this point, she’s not particularly worried. “The fear of this disease scares me more than the disease itself; like I always say: decisions based mainly on fear are rarely good ones.”

I will update this article as new information becomes available. In the meantime, I encourage you, as you should with any news, to consider the source before you panic. And you probably don’t need to go as far as some Chinese cat parents, who started putting masks on their cats, although their fears, given their closer proximity to the outbreak epicenter, are certainly understandable.

Photos AsiaWire via Fox10 Phoenix

Are you worried about the corona virus? Where are you getting your information from?

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