Don’t fear Fluffy: Your cat’s not going to give you COVID-19
When a Malayan tiger named Nadia became the first tiger in the world to test positive for COVID-19 after being exposed to an asymptomatic zookeeper at the Bronx Zoo, she made history.
But her new-found celebrity raised concerns among animal lovers: Could COVID -19 be transmitted to domestic pets? And could domestic pets transmit it to humans? If so, the fluffy neighbourhood cat that refuses to socially distance looks a little less cute.
“The tiger at the Bronx zoo was the first example of a non-domestic animal testing positive,” said doctor of veterinary medicine Lauren Adelman. “But there have been sporadic reports of dogs and cats testing positive, so people want to know if there is a risk.”
The short answer, according to Adelman, is “No.”
While there have been rare cases of the virus jumping from humans to pets, there have been no reports of transmission from pets to humans, said Adelman.
“The risk we pose to our pets is small, and the risk they pose to us is non-existent,” said Adelman.
According to guidelines for pets and COVID-19 published by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, it is we humans who need to protect our pets. Their guidelines recommend avoiding close contact with animals if you are ill, practise good handwashing, and avoid coughing or sneezing on your animals.
Have another household member care for your pets until your illness is cleared.
Cats and ferrets are the most susceptible to COVID-19. Dogs are much less likely to contract it, and pigs not at all, said Adelman.
Although Adelman said there are no case studies yet that show a pet’s fur could transmit the virus, “out of an abundance of caution, we do not recommend petting other people’s dogs and cats at this time.”
In other words, no matter how cute that furball with the puppy-dog eyes may be, keep your social distance — unless it’s your own pet.
There is no commercially available veterinary test for a pet that has been exposed. At Canada West Veterinary hospital, where Adelman is an internist, a COVID-19 ward has been especially designed for animals that have come from a home with a positive exposure.
Adelman said veterinarians have cancelled non-urgent surgeries during the pandemic. “Because of the risk to doctors, nurses and technicians who need (personal protective equipment), we are doing everything possible to conserve the amount of equipment we use,” said Adelman.