I’m so exhausted with this question. The internet says yes. My vet’s office says no. Is there a real answer?
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Can Cats Catch Flu From Humans?
- Thread starter brdwybaby
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For all practical purposes no they cannot. It is true that flu starts in birds goes to a mammal where it changes and becomes a virus that can be passed among mammals including people. In a home situation with a pet this for all practical purposes does not happen. You are reading that it is possible because in abstract theory it is possible but in reality it does not happen.
A university study seems to show that cats are susceptible to certain strains of influenza: Can you really give your dog or cat the flu? | News and Research Communications | Oregon State University. I know ferrets can get flu from humans. Be careful, keep the cat away from people who have actual influenza (not just "the flu" like a stomach bug or something).
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This is what I’m talking about. The internet says one thing, but my vet insists a cat cannot catch the flu from humans. I don’t know what to believe. I have severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder to the point where I cannot work and am on disability, and this is terrifying me. There’s flu in the house and I am unable to contain my kitty, as it’s a small apartment and she gets stress issues if I lock her up for too long. I’m at my wits’ end with worry.
The main one that they are saying may have been transmitted to cats in 2011 and 2012 is the H1N1 which is the swine flu. Swine flu isn't part of this year's seasonal flu. It is the one that is endemic to pigs and seems to mutate more easily and quickly then other flu. H3N2 is the most common seasonal flu and is the one that is going around this year. They didn't get a good match this year which is why the vaccine wasn't as effective as normal. The article said that there was a study that showed that H3N2 might have the potential to be transmitted from dogs to cats in a study at a university in South Korea. With the most common seasonal flu which is what we have this year, for all practical purposes outside of a university study you are not going to give your seasonal flu to your cat.
If the swine flu comes through again then yes there is a possibility. If we have swine flu come through we will know about it. It is a major part of the news and it is the one that the CDC as well as other countries health organizations watch very closely. That is the one that has the potential to turn into a flu pandemic like the one at the beginning of the last century.
If the swine flu comes through again then yes there is a possibility. If we have swine flu come through we will know about it. It is a major part of the news and it is the one that the CDC as well as other countries health organizations watch very closely. That is the one that has the potential to turn into a flu pandemic like the one at the beginning of the last century.
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Hello brdwybaby! Since you are feeling insecure and concerned regarding conflicting info, and since you can't have your kitty the neste you can do it's to use masks, having good handscrubs when you need to feed ir pet the kitty, make sure that the house as fresh air, etc (you know, the basic prevention steps se need to have in order to avoid the vírus to spread around). This way you can feel more on control up until you get the info clear on your thought. Hope ir helps 
Sorry for the typing mistakes, but my keyboard is in another language and corrects constantly what I write.
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- #8
So if I’m reading you correctly, what you’re saying is H1N1 can be passed to cats, but H2N3 (which is what is going around), cannot.
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The main reverse zoonotic (meaning that they can jump the species barrier from human to animal) diseases that affect cats are tuberculosis and the swine flu, which isn’t the flu that’s going around this year.
The flu virus would have to mutate into something your cat can catch, the chances of that happening are so small, it would be the same as winning two lotteries. You cannot catch a virus from your cat, and the same is vice versa, the chances are just so small it is almost incalculable. Please, don't go to the internet for advise unless it is a reputable site, like this one or a pet site by veterinarians. Reading postings by other people is like believing in the abominable snowman, they just keep getting wilder and wilder until they have you believing things that are absolutely not true.
I think a university study is pretty reputable :/. And if it's new information a vet may not have heard about it.
But from all accounts, young healthy cats don't usually get too sick from flu, and there are only certain strains they can catch. So try not to worry too much! When I had ferrets none of them even caught the flu from anybody, and it's well-documented that ferrets can catch flu.
But from all accounts, young healthy cats don't usually get too sick from flu, and there are only certain strains they can catch. So try not to worry too much! When I had ferrets none of them even caught the flu from anybody, and it's well-documented that ferrets can catch flu.
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- #12
Thanks, everyone! I got ya. You’ve really calmed my overthinking butt down! Haha!
I am glad you feel better about this and I hope everyone in your household gets over this crud that is going around very soon. Hopefully next year they will come closer to the seasonal strain with the vaccine and the flu season won't be as bad as it has been this year.
Instead of worrying about things that are beyond our control, I believe in doing things we do have control over, such as getting a FLU SHOT. 
It may not protect you at 100% with this year's strain but, it WILL give you some protection and like the saying goes, something is better than nothing! If you and yours stay healthy, chances are your cats will stay healthy too.
It may not protect you at 100% with this year's strain but, it WILL give you some protection and like the saying goes, something is better than nothing! If you and yours stay healthy, chances are your cats will stay healthy too.
YES. 100% YES. Even if you are not an at risk population (Young, old, pregnant, immunocompromised), getting the flu shot helps protect those populations and makes it harder for the flu to spread. Herd immunity for the win!
Even though the match for the flu shot given this year against what is going around is not good, it still revs up the immune system and makes antibodies that are there and ready to fight against what you do get. They help to keep the symptoms from getting as bad as they could get.
The vet has seen and experienced much in their practice. I would listen to them. The internet is very unreliable and full of what people BELIeVE, not what is fact. You can look up a sore throat and all of a sudden you have throat cancer and are going to die. People can say what they want because they know they are too hard to track down in cyberspace, and who's going to disprove what they say! If everyone had to give their name and address I bet there would be a lot less 'illusions of truth'!
The vet has seen and experienced much in their practice. I would listen to them. The internet is very unreliable and full of what people BELIeVE, not what is fact. You can look up a sore throat and all of a sudden you have throat cancer and are going to die. People can say what they want because they know they are too hard to track down in cyberspace, and who's going to disprove what they say! If everyone had to give their name and address I bet there would be a lot less 'illusions of truth'!
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I now believe they can. I just read the Oregon University article, as I have had a change of belief about this. Yes, it's on the web but it is also from respected professionals who are researching this more so to the implications of how this can affect humans in a really bad way. I came here to say that I firmly believe that they can catch the 2018 strain of flu that is canvassing the nation at this moment. I am currently nursing one of three cats who have symptoms very similar if not the same as what I experience. As I was nearing the end of my flu, the one cat that sleeps with me suddenly developed severe sinus congestion and frequent sneezing. He got over it in a few days. Then the youngest (<1 year old) started constant sneezing and runny nose. She is nearly all clear after about a week. She still has the occasional sneeze but is as vibrant and energetic as ever (currently bouncing off the ceiling and walls).
This chained to the third cat almost immediately after her but hit him really hard. His symptoms are more so like my own, where he has some sneezing but a severe sinus congestion, and what my heart and senses tell me is a sore throat. He can barely breathe through his nostrils and he frequently does what looks like involuntary swallowing that you can hear, and it looks discomforting as though he is struggling. He saw the vet three days ago for being lethargic, not eating, stuffy sinuses and what reminded me of human "Pink Eye" when I first saw it upon his arising. His eye looked better a few hours later. The vet also discovered a skin lump (probably from an old injury as a stray) which was surgically removed. The vet prescribed antibiotics as a precaution for his ails (and some pain meds) until lab results come back (testing for viral, herpes etc).
He looks absolutely horrible in that all he does is sleep, barely eats and drinks water. He has this pleading look on his face for me to save him from this illness. When I sit with him quietly, I see myself when I was ill with this flu. I can feel the pain and discomfort he is enduring. My flu episode took a strange turn. I had received my flu shot prior to the season (in fact so early that on a follow-up visit I asked if I could get a booster for the flu shot lol) My flu began as a severe sore throat and ended with a secondary bacterial or viral infection of my salivation glands between my chin and throat.
My cats are totally indoor cats. Neither has been outside my home for the past two to three months (since a vet visit.) I have had no visitors to my home during this time. This invisible intruder came upon them from me, when I had the flu or indirectly, as I was near others who may have had the flu still after I had fully recovered. The outdoor cats I care for daily are showing no signs of a sinus cold or any illness. Flu strains evolve.
Please be careful and don't underestimate flu or cold viruses this season. When in doubt get them veterinary care.
Most flus don't pass between human and animal, but that being said, it depends on the strain. Like the bird flu. So although it is VERY unlikely it won't, it can!
