Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19

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Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - M T - 04-03-2020

I mentioned this before, but new info made me want this to be front & center.

Cats and ferrets can host the SARS-COV-2 virus (dogs & other common domestic animals, not so much).
Cats can spread & catch the virus via respiration droplets. (Related info here)

In Wuhan, for a sample of 102 cats, about 15% were found to have antibodies to the virus (meaning they had previously had the disease).
(No claim that the sample is random, so 15% does not mean that 15% of all cats would have antibodies.)

Even if you keep away from all people, does your cat keep away from infected cats & people?
I'm afraid we're going to have to convert our cats to being indoor all the time.

Quote:At present, there is no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from cats to humans. However, a latest report shows that SARS-CoV-2 can transmit between cats via respiratory droplets (Hualan Chen, 2020), so, a strong warning and regulations still should be issued to block this potential transmission route.

(Cats #1 to 15 are those that showed antibodies)

Quote:Consistent with the high neutralizing titer, the owners of Cat#4, Cat#14 and Cat#15 were diagnosed as COVID-19 patients. Cat#1, Cat#5~9 was from pet hospitals, while Cat#2, Cat#10~13[and cat #3] were initially stray cats and kept in animal protection shelters after the outbreak.

To me, this means that cats could be a vector to bringing the virus into an otherwise-isolated household. Cats could also be a vector for transmitting the virus from an ill person to a healthy person in the same household (no facemasks for cats!).

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - akiddoc - 04-03-2020

(04-03-2020, 02:49 PM)M T Wrote: I mentioned this before, but new info made me want this to be front & center.

Cats and ferrets can host the SARS-COV-2 virus (dogs & other common domestic animals, not so much).
Cats can spread & catch the virus via respiration droplets. (Related info here)

In Wuhan, for a sample of 102 cats, about 15% were found to have antibodies to the virus (meaning they had previously had the disease).
(No claim that the sample is random, so 15% does not mean that 15% of all cats would have antibodies.)

Even if you keep away from all people, does your cat keep away from infected cats & people?
I'm afraid we're going to have to convert our cats to being indoor all the time.

Quote:At present, there is no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from cats to humans. However, a latest report shows that SARS-CoV-2 can transmit between cats via respiratory droplets (Hualan Chen, 2020), so, a strong warning and regulations still should be issued to block this potential transmission route.

(Cats #1 to 15 are those that showed antibodies)

Quote:Consistent with the high neutralizing titer, the owners of Cat#4, Cat#14 and Cat#15 were diagnosed as COVID-19 patients. Cat#1, Cat#5~9 was from pet hospitals, while Cat#2, Cat#10~13[and cat #3] were initially stray cats and kept in animal protection shelters after the outbreak.

To me, this means that cats could be a vector to bringing the virus into an otherwise-isolated household. Cats could also be a vector for transmitting the virus from an ill person to a healthy person in the same household (no facemasks for cats!).

Saw that in some medical chat rooms the last few days. Will be interesting to see what the method of transmission is between cats and if there is likely spread to humans. These reports are preliminary and not in peer reviewed studies.

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - burger - 04-03-2020

At last I have scientific backing for my hatred of cats!

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - Goose - 04-03-2020

(04-03-2020, 03:29 PM)burger Wrote: At last I have scientific backing for my hatred of cats!

Ditto!

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - 2006alum - 04-03-2020

(04-03-2020, 03:31 PM)Goose Wrote:
(04-03-2020, 03:29 PM)burger Wrote: At last I have scientific backing for my hatred of cats!
Ditto!

Thirded. I don't trust animals with vertical pupils.

Leftcoast - Leftcoast - 04-03-2020

You folks just haven’t met the right cat!

RE: Leftcoast - cardcrimson - 04-03-2020

(04-03-2020, 07:31 PM)Leftcoast Wrote: You folks just haven’t met the right cat!

Agree with that. Our new family cat has saved us from a lot. As mentioned months ago, if the kitten hadn't curled up in my lap during our game against Notre Dame, I probably wouldn't be here to antagonize you all. . . .

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - magnus - 04-03-2020

Not being an animal person. it took me way too long growing up to realize that Heathcliff and Garfield were both cats. Heh

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - cardcrimson - 04-03-2020

(04-03-2020, 08:04 PM)magnus Wrote: Not being an animal person. it took me way too long growing up to realize that Heathcliff and Garfield were both cats. Heh

Our kitten is version of Bill the Cat from an appearance standpoint. From a personality standpoint, more like Calvin after a bowl of Double Chocolate Sugar Bombs. . . .

RE: Leftcoast - Goose - 04-03-2020

(04-03-2020, 07:31 PM)Leftcoast Wrote: You folks just haven’t met the right cat!

because no such thing exists.

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - stupac2 - 04-03-2020

(04-03-2020, 02:49 PM)M T Wrote: Even if you keep away from all people, does your cat keep away from infected cats & people?

I dunno about you, but that's not a problem with my cats. They've been social distancing since before it was mandatory.

(I could try to convert them to indoor-only, but one of them is a giant asshole and pees all over everything and fights the other cats. Like some people he's turned ornery in his old age and I just gave up fighting it and let him do his thing outside. We have a cat flap with a microchip reader so he can come and go as he pleases, he basically lives outside now.)

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - CornFed - 04-03-2020

(04-03-2020, 08:04 PM)magnus Wrote: Not being an animal person. it took me way too long growing up to realize that Heathcliff and Garfield were both cats. Heh

We lost my girlfriend's cat not too long ago. His name was Gump, he weighed 20 pounds and was diabetic. He was a black and white version of Garfield; both in physical dimensions and personality. I miss him.

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - BostonCard - 04-03-2020

Wasn't a cat person, but we have two cats in the house, and I love them both (even though one would rather hide behind the toilet than be near me). Both are indoor cats, so not much risk, but my daughter does like to visit the neighborhood cats. I might have to institute some social distancing.

BC

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - Mick - 04-04-2020

(04-03-2020, 09:43 PM)CornFed Wrote: We lost my girlfriend's cat not too long ago. His name was Gump, he weighed 20 pounds and was diabetic. He was a black and white version of Garfield; both in physical dimensions and personality. I miss him.

Mrs. Mick and I got a kitten from my family cat right after we got married. Named her Licorice. First place we bought was a third floor walkup condo. Licorice disappeared for a week. Six days go by, I threw out the cat food. Day seven, she shows up at the door, having lost 1/4 to 1/3 of her body weight, had a broken leg. Vet said probably hit by a car. She went right to the spot for her cat food. That night, a full can of tuna fish, treat for her, stinky apartment for us.

A few years later, we bought a house. While we were fixing that house, Licorice stayed with my chain-smoking aunt. At the time, all I had was a very small two seater, which did not fit Licorice's crate. I asked the vet how to transport Licorice from aunt's house in Menlo Park to San Jose. She said "use a pillowcase." I was horrified. Vet said, "pillowcase is porous so the cat can breathe, and opaque so she can't see. She'll probably just go to sleep."

Ah, no. First thing she did was pee everywhere. About halfway through the trip on the freeway, I found out what "let the cat out of the bag" meant in literal terms. She got out of the bag and started to run around the car. Licorice decided I was to blame and started to claw me and made motions to bite me. I grabbed her by the neck (all four sets of claws scratching), finally got her back into the bag with swear words that I don't even think were invented yet. She was yowling the entire time. Pulled up into the new house driveway, sweat pouring down my face, blood (mine) all over, fur sticking to me. I let Licorice out, and she sauntered over to my wife who said "How was the trip?" Sigh.

Five years later, we sold the house, moved one mile north to a new house. Followed vet's instructions to keep the cat in the house or the garage for two weeks. Did that. Let the cat out, she escaped. And she was gone. For two years. As god is my witness, she showed up two years later, on Christmas Day! More to the story (we think the cat lady next door at the old house kidnapped her), but in the end, Licorice lived until she was 17.

I miss that cat. She had a really great personality. Loved everyone and wasn't shy about it.

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - OutsiderFan - 04-05-2020

Not just house cats, apparently:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/brianmrosenthal/status/1246903735038685186[/tweet]

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - M T - 04-05-2020

The NY Post reports symptoms in 2 twin Malayan tigers (including the one tested), two Amur tigers, and three African lions are experiencing a dry cough. CNN reports the infection was from a asymptomatic infected employee who was caring for them. There was no mention of how long they've had the cough, or whether they had a fever.

My guess is those animals are kept in 3 different pens (per species).

So much for any thought that you have to have close & continuing contact to catch the disease. It seems to me that the likely mechanism was food contamination (uncooked meat). I was wondering how food contamination would be demonstrated convincingly.

I'm sorry about these animals, but I do hope this is a wake-up call to consider cats in terms of shelter-at-home isolation for healthy people, and home quarantine for those with the disease. And for vets, animal control staff, pet store employees.

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - Leftcoast - 04-05-2020

Per the CDC "If you have animals" web page, "At this time, there is no evidence that companion animals, including pets, can spread COVID-19 to people or that they might be a source of infection in the United States."

Also, "CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19 in the United States. CDC is aware of a very small number of pets outside the United States reported to be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 after close contact with people with COVID-19. To date, there is no evidence that pets can spread the virus to other animals or people. CDC is working with human and animal health partners to monitor this situation and will continue to provide updates as information becomes available."

It will be interesting to see if that changes.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprepare%2Fanimals.html

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - CompSci87 - 04-05-2020

Happily my cat is already indoor only. I met a friendly neighbor cat on my walk a couple of days ago and decided not to try to pet it as I normally would.

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - OutsiderFan - 04-06-2020

Whenever you see “at this time” from a health organization, use your own logic to inform your judgment. Maybe cat to human transmission won’t occur, but I certainly would operate on the assumption it can.

Cats lick themselves all over and could be covered in virus if themselves infected, and they certainly can breathe around you.

RE: Cats as a vector and reservoir of COVID-19 - 82 Card - 04-07-2020

I started keeping my 2 cats inside. Given that the neighborhood is like a neutron bomb went off, the risk is probably not high but it's not zero. One of them doesn't mind at all, having spent most her time indoors all winter anyway. The other is acting all hurt and swipes at my pants every time I go by the door. I figure she'd be even more hurt if she couldn't do the circle dance on my chest at night. So it's indoors only for the cats until "we have no evidence" actually means something.