Covid in cats, let’s bust the myth! (THREAD)

Cats can have coronavirus. BUT it’s not SARS-cov-2 (Covid-19). Cats can get infected with coronavirus (called FCoV). It’s actually extremely common. It’s contagious – 80–90% of multicat households are infected. It affects the gut.

Cats become infected with FCoV when they ingest the virus. The virus attaches into the lining of the small intestine. It uses the cells’ internal mechanisms to replicate itself. The replicated virus then sheds out in poo.

If others cats are using the same litter tray or toilet area, they may get the virus on their fur and through self-grooming get the virus... starting the cycle over again. It does not affect humans!

Most cats show no symptoms at all, and it is rarely tested by vets as it is so common in sampling. If you cat is showing abnormal symptoms, get it checked by a vet regardless but it more than likely isn’t coronavirus. YOU CANNOT CATCH CORONAVIRUS FROM YOUR PET!

News this week: A report has been released that 2 cases of Covid-19 in cats have been found in 14 months in the U.K. One 4 month old ragdoll in Mar20, which also had pneumonia and immunity issues had to be PTS. The other was 6 years old, mild conditions and fully recovered.

So far these are the only cases reported - this does not mean that your pet will get sick. Please learn the differences about #coronavirus and #COVID19 for pets. Please #retweet #CatsOfTwitter #whiskerswednesday #cats