Cats are at Risk of Bird Flu: What Do Owners Need to Know?

The H5N1 or bird flu virus has been sporadically detected in some pets, including cats.

Bird flu affecting cats occurred in Thailand in 2004, northern Germany in 2006, and Poland and South Korea in 2023.

As reported by Science News on Friday, May 31, 2024, when bird flu infects mammals, the virus can undergo random mutations. These mutations will help the virus replicate better when in mammalian cells. This increases the likelihood that avian influenza can adapt and spread easily in humans.

Veterinarian and environmental epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland, USA, Meghan Davis said that cats may become infected after catching wild birds outdoors. Although the cat did not eat the wild bird, it is considered physical contact that can transmit the virus. In addition, the diet humans feed their pets can also be harmful to cats.

"Raw meat diets, and particularly raw poultry diets, have been associated with some of these cases," says Davis.

Some evidence suggests that cats may be able to transmit the infection to other cats. Sadly, a cat can die from bird flu infection and the mortality rate appears to be high. WOAH noted that more than 16 cats in the US have been detected with avian influenza and at least four have died. Then in 2022 and 2023, 13 cats were affected and about half of them died.

For cat owners, the CDC recommends always monitoring the health of their pet cats and themselves. On the other hand, Davis also suggests keeping cats out of reach of birds as much as possible. If there are cats that often go outside, try to keep pets from being exposed to bird droppings.

"Keep bird feeders away from catio or cat cages," Davis said.

WOAH advises against feeding cats any food, especially raw poultry meat and milk.

Comments

Why Should We Sterilize Cats? Benefits, Prices, and Post-Steril Care

Fellow cat lovers must be familiar with the term sterilization or neuter. However, many people might wonder what exactly cat sterilization is, why we need to sterilize our cats, how much it costs, and how to take care after the procedure. What is cat sterilization? Sterilization is the act of removing a cat's reproductive organs so as to limit its reproduction. In males, it is called castration or orchiectomy. The testes, which are the primary source of testosterone hormones, are removed in order to accomplish the procedure. Cats getting this surgery will have lower hormone levels. Meanwhile, in females, it is called ovariohysterectomy (OH). The ovariohysterectomy method is used to lift the uteruses and ovaries during the procedure. As a result, even when the cat mates with the male cat, it is unable to become pregnant. However, there are pros and cons going on out there. Benefits If you still wondering about why we need to sterilize our cat, below are the benefits of cat ...

Symptoms, Causes, And How to Treat Worms In Cats

Worms not only affect humans, but pets can also get worms. This condition makes cats uncomfortable and can disturb their health. There are several symptoms of worms in cats: the body looks thin, weak, bloated belly, throwing up, and diarrhea. Nurul Anjar, an animal doctor at Vetopet Animal Clinic, Bogor, West Java, said there are factors that cause worms in cats, both internal and external factors. Internal factors are usually infected by the mother when still in the womb. Meanwhile, external factors are caused by the environment or eating food that has been contaminated with worms. This worming disease can be dangerous for pets because the worms will absorb the cat's nutrients. This can inhibit the growth and development of cats, especially kittens. Therefore, a cat owner must take immediate action. There are several types of worms that often infect cats. They are tapeworms, roundworms, and hookworms. How to treat cats with worms Doctor Nurul explained that the right action is to ...

This Is The Reason Why Cats Like to Sleep in Car Hoods

It's no longer a secret that cats can sleep anywhere. They are even often found sleeping in uncommon places such as under the car, on top of the car, or even inside the car hood. seniorcatwellness.com So, what is the reason? A veterinarian from The Paws Pet, Marie Celina Lughti-Mergilla, explained that the habit of sleeping or simply taking shelter on the hood of a car is their natural instinct to look for a safer and warmer place. “Cats like warm places. Because they have a higher body temperature than humans," said Mergilla. "Stray cats usually come into the engine room because they are looking for shelter to stay warm. They do this to save energy when taking a nap. They also like the engine room, because it is dark and they can sleep in peace," she added. According to Cats Protection, the fact that they sleep a lot is an extraordinary characteristic of cats in general. The average cat spends 18 - 20 hours sleeping a day. Some experts say this habit is normal and n...

Catdorable 𓃠

Search This Blog