Cats ‘must be quarantined with their owners’

Vets warn public not to stroke other people’s animals over fears virus could survive on their fur

PEOPLE should keep their cats indoors if they are self-isolating, and touching other people’s pets should not be permitted to stop the spread of coronavirus, vets have said.

Although there is no proof the virus can spread from infected felines to humans, it can survive on the fur of a cat touched by a human carrier.

Pet owners have been told to be vigilant because if a cat is touched by someone with the virus and then, shortly after, stroked by a neighbour, the virus could feasibly be transmitted.

Daniella Dos Santos, the British Veterinary Association president, said if people become infected they should keep their cats inside, and that owners should wash their hands regularly.

She explained: “Animals can act as fomites, as the virus could be on their fur in the same way it is on other surfaces, such as tables and doorknobs. That’s why our main advice for pet owners continues to be to practise good hand hygiene. As a precaution, for owners who have Covid-19 or who are self-isolating we recommend that you keep your cat indoors if possible.”

The PDSA veterinary charity said: “There is evidence that the virus can live on surfaces for some time, depending on the type of material, temperature and other factors. This could include your pet’s fur, so if you are showing any symptoms it’s important to minimise contact with your pet.”

The World Health Organisation says the virus can survive for up to three days in optimum conditions on some surfaces, but it is likely to survive for a far shorter time on the fur of a roaming cat, as it is sensitive to UV light and does not last as long outside. Dr Rachel Dean, a vet at Vetpartners, said that only those in quarantine should keep their cats inside with them, adding: “If we keep all of our cats in, that’s going to cause a massive cat welfare and health problem and it’s not necessary for all cats.”

However, she said that people should “social distance” from pets that are not theirs, adding: “Don’t stroke a cat you don’t know. Wash your hands before and after playing with your own cats.”

She said that people could still walk dogs for those who were self-isolating, adding: “Make sure it doesn’t go near any other families and wash your hands before and after handling that dog just like you would after pushing a shopping trolley for someone.”

Although some pets have tested positive after contact with infected humans, there have been no cases of it passing from cats or dogs to humans.

Dr Angel Almendros, from City University in Hong Kong, wrote in a recent paper that in the case of a 17-year-old dog that tested positive in China, it was likely not contagious to pets or people as it never created antibodies against the virus or displayed symptoms.

Studies by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences found cat-to-cat transmission was possible, and there has been news recently of tigers reportedly becoming infected at the Bronx Zoo in New York. There was also a case of an owner apparently passing the disease to a pet cat in Belgium.

Downing Street, however, has allowed Larry, the No 10 cat, to roam around, interacting with passers-by, since Boris Johnson began his self-isolation. The Government said there was no evidence pets could pass on coronavirus.

‘Don’t stroke a pet cat that you don’t know. Wash your hands before and after playing with your own cats’