Via Effect Measure, I learned that it’s possible for cats to catch swine flu from humans – something scientists didn’t know, either, until just this week. Tara Parker-Pope wrote in the New York Times about a 13-year-old cat in Ames, Iowa, who caught the virus:
The cat, a 16-pound orange tabby, began acting lethargic and lost his appetite on Oct. 27. He is the only pet in the house and never goes outside. The cat, described as “large framed but not chubby,” stopped eating and drinking and stopped cleaning himself. He also rested by hunching on all four feet, rather than sprawling out on his side as usual, a sign of respiratory discomfort. A few days earlier, two out of three family members in the home had developed flu-like symptoms, with fever and body aches. …
The next day, the cat arrived at the veterinary school, where he was seen by Dr. Jergens, a small animal specialist and immunologist. Upon examination, it appeared the cat had a respiratory condition, so Dr. Jergens performed a bronchial lavage, injecting fluid in and out of the lungs to collect cells to determine what was making the animal sick.
“It didn’t reveal anything that was consistent with what we typically see with pneumonia in a cat,” Dr. Sponseller said.
Although cats can contract flu from birds, this cat never left the house and was never exposed to any other pet. At that point, it occurred to the veterinarians that since the family members had been recently ill, they might be seeing a case of flu transmitted from human to cat. The school is the site of a major diagnostic lab, so the veterinarians were able to test the cat and quickly confirm he had H1N1, a finding that was later confirmed by additional testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. …
Dr. Sponseller says the cat is about 85 percent recovered. He was given fluids for dehydration and put on antibiotics to prevent a secondary bacterial infection. “He’s eating well, moving around well, and he’s back in his window watching the squirrels outside,” he said. …
It’s not clear how the cat contracted the virus, but given how easily flu is transmitted between family members, it’s not particularly surprising that a friendly cat would come into contact with the virus as well.
“He’s a very social cat,” Dr. Sponseller said. “He would visit with them in their laps when they were watching television or reading. He was known to climb up on the bed. He’s a very charming cat with a lot of personality.”
Just to be clear: No one is saying the cat gave the virus to his people. Cats tend not to sneeze much, plus the cat only had contact with humans. I’m glad that this furry fellow – who sounds adorable – is going to be fine.
Patron cat of Kittywampus (1985-2001)
I get this “Cat Crazy” email newsletter, which is usually just an advertisement for some product or another, but sometimes gives me actual information, and this is one of those cases. I heard about this yesterday or maybe the day before and it makes me nervous because it’s so difficult to deal with illness in animals. They can’t tell you when they start to feel sick, like humans can. In fact, animals usually try to hide it when they’re feeling ill, which makes it hard for their human companions to help them. I’m so glad they caught it in this kitty and were able to treat him!
I’m glad this kitty is fine, too! It is terribly frustrating when an animal can’t tell you what’s wrong. That was pretty much the story of the last half-year of my Grey Kitty’s life. The only thing I knew for sure was that she would eat Fancy Feast at a point when she’d given up on everything else, and so she got all the Fancy Feast she wanted.
Caring for a sick baby is similarly tricky as long as their communication skills are no greater than a cat’s. Fortunately they can eventually tell you where it hurts. Unfortunately, they have to be talking pretty well before they’re reliable reporters of their own symptoms. My younger son once spent the night in the hospital (with his dad and me) on suspicion of appendicitis. Turned out he just really, really needed to poop and was also running a fever – two separate issues. He was nearly four at the time.