Tiger tests positive

[HuntIdeas]

A tiger in New York zoo has tested positive for Coronavirus and 6 other big cats are showing symptoms - www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52177586

What will happen if pet cats start catching / transmitting the virus? Will we have to lock them in / out of the house?

[frillyfarmer]

I will just predict now every single livestock farmer in the country will close any public right of way across their land - I'm on hold to CLA as we speak to get advice on it. This disease is threatening my family's health and future finances enough without having every fucker in the land walking through the farm with their dogs off lead, potentially spreading it to our stock. It will be a vision of the foot and mouth restrictions.

[NoMorePoliticsPlease]

Cue a lot of people maltreating cats

[EmMac7]

I’m only letting my two outside in the afternoon under supervision at the moment. They’re pretty antisocial and tend to stick within the yard anyway, but given the evidence that cats can spread it to each other I think it best. We have plenty of other cats “dropping by”.

[Excited101]

People were already dumping their pets, this will only make it worse.

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

I’m hoping it will lead to people keeping their cats indoors.

[UYScuti]

I'm hoping this will lead to dog walkers putting their dogs on short leads and keeping them near them
amen to that!

[moominmomma1234]

@EmMac thanks for sharing that article. I do know about dogs in Hong Kong and a cat in Belgium but this tiger news has really got me worried. The virus has possibly jumped bat-human-tiger in 4 months

[EmMac7]

15% of cats in a study in Wuhan were found to have Covid antibodies:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.01.021196v1

[SirVixofVixHall]

If this virus originated from a species of cat, as is possible, then maybe that has made the jump to tigers relatively easy. I hope they have some natural immunity.

[madcatladyforever]

My cat had feline coronavirus some years ago, it caused chronic diarrhoea for a bit and then dissipated, I had her tested for it. The other cat (now deceased) also got it - explosive diarrhoea.
Both got better and I caught nothing from either of them.
Vet said they could have got it anywhere probably from something outside or wildlife.
It went through their systems pretty quick and now of the three adults in my then household were affected at all.

[ChardonnaysPetDragon]

So, cats can have it, dogs not so much, but cats get roam free, and dogs must be on the lead?

Makes perfect sense.

[madcatladyforever]

And...she doesn't shit in their gardens which I could understand, she is a litter tray only girl. Always has been since she was a kitten. If she goes out she comes in and uses it.

[madcatladyforever]

Yes this has pissed me right off as people are posting notes through my door telling me to keep my cat in or they won't be responsible for what they do to her.
My cat is 19, she totters round the garden one or twice a day and sleeps for the rest. I hardly think she is a plague carrier.
I have kept her locked in because should one of my neighbours kick or otherwise attack her she will not survive it at her age.
As always these cowardly notes are anonymous but when I find out who sent them I will kick their arses for them. How dare they threaten my cat.
People are 100% stupid.

[Kazzyhoward]

Yes, the people stay the 2m away but their dogs are still rubbing against me and slobbering over my clothes (frankly unacceptable at any time)

Also a massive increase in dog shit everywhere. Must be loads of people taking their dogs for a walk but too selfish and bone idle to pick up after them. Just chased one this lunchtime - striding off with the dog off the lead behind them - she never bothered looking back to see it shit, so I bloody well told her and made her go back to pick it up.

[Makeitgoaway]

Yes, the people stay the 2m away but their dogs are still rubbing against me and slobbering over my clothes (frankly unacceptable at any time)

[silverdollarcity]

Agree dogs need to be on leads now.

Twice this week I've shouted at other dog owners because their off-lead dogs have come up to mine, who is on a lead.

With one woman in particular I had to yell at her several times to get her to call her dog back. It was a friendly dog, sniffing at my 7 year old and my dog, and made me feel really uncomfortable because of the virus. I know a couple of dog charities have suggested it's best to walk dogs on leads but I wish the government would make it an actual rule, because there are people around here acting as if life is just going on as normal, or as if the social distancing rules are somehow beneath them.

It really, really pisses me off. It's as if the virus just isn't happening.

[2Rebecca]

I'm hoping this will lead to dog walkers putting their dogs on short leads and keeping them near them. Cats tend to keep out of the way of other people unless being fed by creepy cat stealers.

[UYScuti]

Tl:dr
If things get really bad and you have to eat your cat make sure you cook it very very thoroughly😶☝️

[Todayissunny]

I read somewhere as well that it has been proven that cats can get it from humans. They haven't got evidence that it can be transmitted from cats to humans (how?). This adds another level to my annoyance and disgust that cats use my garden as a toilet.

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

And apparently Joe Exotic also has coronavirus. Coincidence? I think not.

[hoodathunkit]

If anyone is genuinely interested about the evolution of viruses at wet markets there is a very informative video here

The whole video is great but the bit about the markets starts at approximately 1 hour in

Just a warning
There is some footage from the market at approx 1.05 in that many animal lovers will find distressing

[hoodathunkit]

There is still much we do not know about this virus.

"There is no evidence that" does not = "It will never happen".

Abandoning pets is cruel and irresponsible. Obviously.

However people with pets should be taking proper precautions to protect themselves and others.

With dogs these are the same precautions that they should always take regardless. Exercise good hygiene protocols. Do not let your pet "kiss you" on the face. Pick up your dog's mess immediately and dispose of it hygienically, then wash your hands or use sanitiser. Do not allow your dog to run up to other people and jump up at them. If you are unable to control your dog from doing this keep them on a lead. Wash your hands after touching your pet, especially prior to preparing food.

Felines are sensitive to all kinds of pathogens and viruses that dogs are not vulneable to.

Felines also interact with a diverse range of other species including birds and rodents.

Felines carry their own viruses including feline immune deficiency virus and feline corona virus.

I would suggest that the most significant concern re felines is not cat to human transmission (unlikely but we cannot say it will never happen), it is the possibility of further zoonotic mutation of the virus should a perfect storm of unlikely factors arise.

It seems likely that this virus originated in a wet market in China where multiple diverse species of animals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and even (if reports are true) marsupials were all crowded together in unsanitary conditions.

The virus arose because of different species carrying different viruses had close contact, their blood, urine, faeces, and other body fluids mingled, they breathed on each other and this is how extremely dangerous viruses arise.

One animal, say a bat, carries a virus, it is eaten by a snake, or its blood or urine contaimates an armadillo in the cage beow and bingo. Both animals carry a virus, the RNA of the viruses mutate and evolve and a novel virus is here. If the virus mutates to infect humans then we are in serious trouble.

Ebola and HIV started in this way, as did Sars, Mers and the 1918 so called "Spanish Flu".

This does happen from time to time in nature, however wet markets, the bushmeat trade and international travel mean that a previously dangerous virus that might run out of hosts in the old days can now become a global pandemic.

This virus is zoonotic. It arose from animals. While panic is always unhelpful people should exerise caution and good hygiene protocols around their pets.

[UYScuti]

We know that pangolins civet cats, bats, camels have all been implicated in the transmission of coronavirus infections to humans and now tigers are involved so it would seem plausible that various animal species could be a risk to humans?

[middleager]

*Cats are prone to catching viruses, they get a feline form of flu and HIV. I just hope idiots don’t start abandoning their pets now this news is out.

I lost one of mine to this. He was a fit, dapper chap and I still miss the boy.

[VivaLeBeaver]

If the tiger got it from prepared food is it not more of a warning against buying takeaway food rather than avoiding cats?