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Two cats in separate areas in the state not identified by the government have become the first companion animals in the United States to test positive for COVID-19, which has ravaged the state, with more than 250,000 positive cases that have claimed 15,302 lives in 53 days.
"These are the first pets in the United States to test positive," the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Wednesday, April 22, in a joint statement with the CDC.
Officials said that the cats had mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover. It is believed that they contracted the virus from people in their households or neighborhoods, according to the CDC.
The new cases come after jungle cats at the Bronx Zoo testing positive for COVID-19.
Health officials made note that there is no evidence that pets can play a role in spreading the virus, and “there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare.”
The first cat was tested as a precaution after displaying respiratory signs, though none of the humans in the house had any symptoms.
The second, which was in a different part of New York, was also tested after showing respiratory symptoms, though the owner of that cat tested positive for COVID-19 before the cat became sick.
The CDC has recommended that people prevent their pets from interacting with other people outside their homes, though officials have said there’s no risk of pets spreading the virus to their humans.
According to the CDC, cats should be kept indoors, and dogs should be walked on a leash, maintaining at least six feet from other animals and people. Officials said it's ill-advised to take pets to dog parks during the outbreak.
Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC doctor who works on human-animal health connections said that “we don’t want people to panic. We don’t want people to be afraid of pets, or to rush to test them en masse. There’s no evidence that pets are playing a role in spreading this disease to people.”
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