Cats and Dogs May Catch COVID-19 From Their Owners – High Risk for Cats That Sleep on Their Owner’s Bed

By European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases July 11, 2021

New research presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), held online this year, suggests that people with COVID-19 often pass it on to their pets. Cats who sleep on their owner’s bed seem to be at particular risk of infection.

Previous studies have shown that cats and dogs can get COVID-19 from their owners, but it wasn’t clear how susceptible they were and what, if anything, increased their chance of being infected. Answering these questions is important from both public and animal health perspectives.

To learn more, Dorothee Bienzle, a professor of veterinary pathology at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues studied cats and dogs from people who had had COVID-19.

The animals, 48 ​​cats and 54 dogs from 77 households, were tested for antibodies to COVID-19 – a sign of a previous infection. Their owners were questioned about how they interacted with their pets, including whether to pet and kiss them and whether they were allowed to sit on their laps or sleep in their beds. They were also asked if they could kiss or lick their pet in the face and how long they spent with their pet each day.

Other questions included whether their pet had gotten sick around the time they had COVID-19 and what kind of symptoms the animal had.

Also, 75 dogs and cats living in an animal shelter and 75 stray cats seen in a cheap veterinary clinic were tested for antibodies.

67% (32/48) of own cats and 43% (23/54) of own dogs tested positive for antibodies, showing that they had had COVID-19. This compared to only 9% (7/75) of the dogs and cats from the animal shelter and 3% (2/75) of the stray cats.

20% (11/54) of the dogs had symptoms, mainly lack of energy and loss of appetite. Some animals had a cough or diarrhea, but all symptoms were mild and resolved quickly.

27% (13/48) of cats had symptoms, with a runny nose and difficulty breathing, the most common symptoms of COVID-19. While most cases were mild, three were serious.

The amount of time an owner spent with his dog and the type of contact he had with him did not affect the animal’s chance of contamination.

However, cats that spent more time with their owners seemed to be at higher risk of infection. And cats that slept on their owner’s bed were more likely to contract COVID-19.

The study authors say that the biology of cats, including their viral receptors, the “locks” that the virus releases to enter cells, makes them more susceptible to COVID-19 than dogs. Cats are also more likely to sleep near their owner’s face than dogs, leaving them more exposed to infection.

They add that the higher infection rate in owner-occupied animals than in shelter and stray animals, combined with results from previous genetic studies, means the most likely route of transmission is from humans to pets, rather than the other way around. .

Professor Bienzle concludes: “If someone has COVID-19, they are surprisingly likely to pass it on to their pet. Especially cats that sleep on their owner’s bed seem particularly vulnerable. So if you have COVID-19, I recommend keeping your distance from your pet — and keeping it out of your bedroom.

“I would also recommend that you keep your pet away from other people and pets. While the evidence that pets can transmit the virus to other pets is limited, it cannot be ruled out. Similarly, while pets have not been shown to return the virus to humans, the possibility cannot be completely ruled out.”