The UK’s chief veterinary officer on Monday revealed that for the first time the virus responsible for Covid-19 has been detected in a pet cat, but added that there is no evidence of the pet transmitting the virus to owners or other animals.
The infection was confirmed following tests at the Animal and Plant Health Agency laboratory in Weybridge on July 22. Health officials reiterated their advice to wash hands regularly, including before and after contact with animals.
All available evidence suggests that the cat contracted the coronavirus from its owners who had previously tested positive for Covid-19. The cat and its owners have since made a full recovery and there was no transmission to other animals or people in the household.
Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: “This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date only showing mild clinical signs and recovering within in a few days. There is no evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans”.
Yvonne Doyle of Public Health England added: “This is the first case of a domestic cat testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK but should not be a cause for alarm. The investigation into this case suggest that the infection was spread from humans to animal, and not the other way round.
Officials said the pet cat was initially diagnosed by a private vet with feline herpes virus, a common cat respiratory infection, but the sample was also tested for SARS-CoV-2 as part of a research programme.
Follow-up samples tested at the laboratory confirmed the cat was also co-infected with SARS-CoV2 which is the virus known to cause Covid-19 in humans. There have been a very small number of confirmed cases in pets in other countries in Europe, North America and Asia.