The bird flu that is driving up the cost of eggs is also infecting cats, so cat lovers should take steps to protect them.
The current strain of bird flu — avian influenza type A (H5N1) — is “quite serious” for cats, according to Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, a professor of shelter medicine education at the University of Florida.
“This new version that is connected with dairy cows is very severe,” she says. “And the cats are striking because within days of exposure, they developed severe neurologic signs and died. It definitely seems to be that cats are especially sensitive compared to many other species.”
The neurologic signs include staggering, blindness, confusion and paralysis. Cats infected with bird flu can also have respiratory signs that range from a mild upper respiratory infection to pneumonia, she notes.
Currently in the United States, the Midwest and the West have the highest risk for cats contracting bird flu. Dozens of domestic cats have tested positive for H5N1 bird flu — including 10 cats in Colorado that died. Additionally, 20 big cats died late last year at Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington from bird flu.
Dr. Levy suggests checking the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s map that reports confirmed cases of bird flu in mammals to stay abreast of outbreaks. She also recommends the Worms and Germs blog by Dr. Scott Weese at Ontario Veterinary College’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses.
How To Protect Cats From Bird Flu
The H5N1 bird flu virus is shed in feces, saliva, urine, nasal secretions and milk. So an important way to protect pet cats from bird flu is to keep them indoors.
“Reducing exposure to the outdoors is important because it’s carried by wild birds — especially waterfowl,” she cautions. “Getting exposed to wild birds or their feces around bodies of water is now a high-risk activity for cats that go outside.”
Wiping the paws of an indoor/outdoor cat after they’ve been outside likely won’t help, according to Dr. Levy.
“It’s just not possible to get enough cleaning in there, and then they’re going to get their fur contaminated and they lick their fur so quickly. That’s something about cats: they’re super fastidious about cleaning, so anytime they get a hair out of place or step on something, they’re going to lick it off right away,” she says.
Food is another big risk factor. Levy recommends only feeding cats cooked food.
“We are recommending not to feed raw milk or meat products, particularly poultry and dairy, and that includes ‘freeze-dried’ or ‘high-pressure pasteurization.’ Those are terms for raw food, and those have been shown to be capable of transmitting the virus,” she says.
For instance, earlier this year, two cats died of bird flu linked to raw poultry pet food from Savage Cat Food (one ate the food, another had contact with a sick cat who ate it), according to the New York City Health Department. The company issued a recall.
Protecting Barn Cats, Farm Cats and Community Cats
To protect outdoor, free-roaming cats, including those helped by trap-neuter-return programs, Dr. Levy recommends feeding and caring for cats in a way that does not encourage them to mingle with wildlife.
“For example, if you put out too much food for the cats, especially if they’re fed at night, the cats will eat and then they’ll leave and then the raccoons will come or the other species will come, birds will come and share that space. And that is a way to spread disease,” she says. “So we definitely want to feed the cats only enough that they will consume right away and not leaving plates or trash around that will attract wildlife.”
She also suggests moving any feline feeding stations away from bodies of water, like ponds, as well as keeping them away from dairy cows and poultry like chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys.
Backyard Chickens And Bird Flu
While this might seem like a prime time to start raising backyard chickens for eggs, it’s problematic for people trying to protect their cats — though it is possible, according to Dr. Levy.
“Follow the public health recommendations to confine the birds. Try to protect them from interacting with wildlife, especially wild birds, covering the tops of their coops and pens so that the wild birds can’t get in and poop in there,” she says.
Additionally, don’t let backyard chickens roam free throughout the day, where they might encounter areas that wild birds have been.
Of course, do not let cats mingle with backyard chickens.
“We want to separate the cats from them until this is over,” she says.
What To Do If You Suspect A Cat Has Bird Flu
If you suspect your cat has bird flu, call your veterinarian first — don’t just show up.
“They need to prepare so they are safe. They’re not going to have you sitting in the waiting room with the cat,” Dr. Levy says. They need to wear personal protective equipment “like gloves, outer clothing, a mask, eye protection and shoe covers.”
People transporting cats that potentially have bird flu should also wear an extra layer of clothes and PPE, she notes.
While wearing protective equipment is advised to reduce the spread of bird flu, Dr. Levy stressed that people should not surrender their cats to shelters if they suspect they have bird flu or if they’re afraid of contracting it.
“With cats and dogs, it’s more likely that a person infected with influenza would infect the pet than vice versa,” she says. “And the good news is that if these cats can be nursed through it, they only shed virus for a couple weeks, so it’s really a short time of care before they’re safe again.”
She believes it’s probable that shelters and veterinarians are seeing cats who are the most severely affected right now, so in the future, we might learn that some cats were infected but had minor signs or no signs and just recovered on their own.
Ultimately, by protecting cats from being exposed to bird flu, we can also help prevent animals from being infected with two strains of influenza at the same time — which can lead to mutations that are much worse.
Dr. Levy feels strongly that the public needs to know that bird flu is a “real concern,” so we must do our part to protect our cats and communities from the virus.
“We can control a lot of the risk factors for cats,” she says. “But what we can’t do is control the migration of wild birds. So we have to be hypervigilant about protecting ourselves and our animals from exposure to wild birds.”
Animal shelter experts from the University of Florida and other universities maintain a living document with guidelines and protocols for cats with possible H5N1 infections.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares updates on its bird flu page.
