The coronavirus has brought a new living style for everyone, and now including pets. There is a new recommendation by the FDA on best practices between your cat and dogs; just in case you have them both. The FDA has mentioned that you should practice social distancing for your cats and dogs.
The report from the FDA stated that you should do all you can to prevent the interaction between your pets and humans or other pets within or outside your household. The fact sheet was published April 30, and it recommended that your cats are always kept all the time indoors while you also place your dog on a leash. The leash should be able to maintain six feet distance from other humans and pets.
According to the report, dog parks are a no go area for now, and other public places should also be avoided. Just in case you missed it, the USDA is the government body that oversees livestock, while the FDA is tasked with assessing the safety of pet food and medication.
So far, a few animals have tested positive for the coronavirus. The first animal to test positive is a tiger from the Bronx Zoo. Since when the tiger tested positive, four tigers and three lions from that same zoo have tested positive.
Also, a pet in Hong Kong and another in Belgium have tested positive. In New York, two house cats are positive after they were noticed to have respiratory difficulties. One of these cats was found to be living in a house where no human tested positive for COVID-19.
You should not be thrown into panic as the FDA has stated that canine is not very likely to get infected with the virus as do cats. And so far, there has been no reported case of an animal infecting a human with the virus.
The FDA has also noted that there is a reduced risk for a human getting the virus from animals. They have attributed this conclusion to the fact that there is very little evidence that proves animal to human transmission.
The actual advice to keep the cats and other felines inside the house is to prevent infection from other felines. This was made known by the Director of the Cornell Feline Health Center, Bruce Kornreich. He also added that the most critical information about the coronavirus is that the virus is usually spread from humans—humans. Bruce Kornreich also mentioned that all the cats that have been infected have recovered.
A few research has shown that chickens and ducks did not get infected and would not spread the infection. But ferret and other breeds of hamsters have shown to be susceptible to the disease.
Hence to avoid several episodes of your pet and others being at risk of the coronavirus, it is safer if they are kept indoors. Cats can go out at night or during the day; maybe they will visit the neighbors or could go anywhere and come in contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive. Hence the safest and best prudent plan is to keep them indoors.
Every pet that has gotten the coronavirus all showed the same symptoms as with animals; fever, cough, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, and nasal discharge. However, the FDA has made it clear that you can only bring your pet in for testing when it shows any of these symptoms. You should also let the vet know if your cat has been exposed or be in contact with anyone who has been COVID-19 positive.
Recent CDC guidelines have mentioned that you restrict your pet and ensure that they do not come in contact with household materials if they are sick. If you have more than one pet, then you should do well to practice social distancing. Also, you are advised to avoid direct contact with pets, do not kiss, licked them, or share food or beddings.
The best practice now is always to allow them to stay in their pet house as much as possible. Do not allow them licking, smelling around you, or your stuff. It is the best way you can show love to them.