Since the virus that causes COVID-19 belongs to a family of viruses that causes diseases in animals, whether or not animals can catch and spread the coronavirus has been brought into question—particularly household pets like cats.

The following information comes from The Conversation.

A 2019 survey revealed that cats are the most popular pet in the UK, with 11 million felines residing in homes across the country. After reports of cats testing positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong, Belgium, France, Spain, and the United States, researchers from The University of Glasgow began testing cats for SARS-CoV-2. They screened respiratory samples from cats and launched an appeal to veterinary surgeons asking for samples from suspected cases. Hundreds of screenings detected a cat with SARS-CoV-2 in South England, and further samples submitted to the Animal and Plant Health Agency revealed that the cat developed an antibody response to the virus and infection.

The cat was stated to have contracted the virus from its owners who tested positive. But a single infected cat out of hundreds screened told researchers that animals catching the disease are relatively uncommon.

I’m not a pet owner, but for those of you who are, please take the proper precautions to keep your household safe.

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Until Next Time…