Me and 2 of my cats contracted coronavirus.

[bpenniman]

Its day 9 into my 14 day quarantine isolation. I started with a bad cough, fever, and some digestive issues. Im 26 and healthy, generally, but have severe asthma. My symotoms lasted from the 3rd until the 10th. So about 7 days. Theyve passed. But i cant leave my home until the 17th. Sunshine and Boots both showed covid symptoms and i worked with my vet to help them but my vet wouldnt do a home visit for obvious reasons. And they couldnt be taken to the vet. Sunshine wheezed ALOT! And coughed up phlem. Hes 100% better now. Boots just had a come and go cough. But Sunshine would wake me up at night meowing incessantly, pacing, coughing, and wheezing. He also got bad diarrhea. Covid-19 can spread to cats so just want everyone to know to be careful if you have an elderly cat with underlying medical conditions. They are both back to normal. Theyre symptoms didnt last as long as mine. I still have a mild shortness of breath but nothing major. Stay safe and keep your kitties safe!

 

[Azazel]

I'm sorry to hear this. Were both you and your cats tested?

 

[bpenniman]

I was but not cats. Vet said it wasmt necessary and they cant get tests for cats.

 

[kittyluv387]

Glad you and your cats are doing well. Rest up still!

 

[Azazel]

I was but not cats. Vet said it wasmt necessary and they cant get tests for cats.

I see. So it is possible that your cats don't have covid-19 but something else caused their symptoms.

 

[stephanietx]

It's possible that they sensed your distress and the stress brought on the symptoms. Our kitties are very intuitive and in tune with how we're feeling and know when we're sick and not feeling well.

 

[MissClouseau]

We don't know if Covid19 can pass to cats. As it's been said stress is a big trigger for health issues in cats so yours might be sick with something else that brought by the stress. So many people are sick with this virus the chances are some of them will have pets who will be sick at the same time coincidentally or due to the stress.

May I ask if there was any body fluids exchange between you and your cats? Especially the kind more in amount like maybe they ate something after you bit off the half of it, or drank water from your glass, etc?

 

[stephanietx]

Here's a good article from the American Veterinary Medical Association regarding Covid-19 in pets. My vet's office sent it out to patients today.

SARS-CoV-2 in animals, including pets

Here's what my vet said in the email:

We have been fielding many phone calls over the past week with concerned cat owners worried if their pet can catch COVID-19, a disease caused by the virus SARS-Cov-2. Much of this stems from various news articles showing up in social media and online. As such, we wanted to provide all of our clients with a very thorough link to an article from AVMA (American Vet Med Association) that discusses many of those articles (including the Tiger in New York and the dogs and cats in Hong Kong & Belgium). I want to highlight some segments for you: 1) Yes, a very small number of animals have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In humans this virus can lead to the COVID-19 disease. 2) Those that do test positive for SARS-CoV-2 don't necessarily show symptoms and appear to have all had direct contact with humans who had already been infected with COVID-19. 3) Little to no evidence that pets or other domestic animals that are naturally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 become sick with COVID-19 or spread the virus to other domestic animals, and no evidence that they can transmit SARS-CoV-2 to people. There is no reason to give up your pet due to fear of getting this virus from it. 4) With the exception of a single report of illness in a cat in Belgium, which could not be confirmed, there have not been additional reports of pets or other domestic animals becoming ill subsequent to natural exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and there is no reason to think that domestic animals, including pets, in the United States might be a source of infection with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. To date, the CDC has not received any reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with actual COVID-19 in the United States. 5) Nevertheless, the AVMA recommends, out of an abundance of caution and until more is known about this virus, if you are ill with COVID-19 you should restrict contact with pets and other animals, just as you would restrict your contact with other people. 6) Cats commonly exhibit respiratory symptoms that might cause you concern more now than it would normally. In the veterinary industry we say, "if you hear hoofbeats think of a horse, not a zebra". More than likely, your cat's respiratory symptoms are unrelated to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. There are several treatments we can suggest in those situations.