Bird Flu in Cats and Kittens

The Bird Flu is an infection affecting humans and animals, including cats that is caused by viruses such as H5N1, H7N2 and other variants. The virus occurs naturally among birds and sometimes crosses over to humans and other animals.

Dear Simba,
I have read about the Bird Flu and all those sick cats in New York!! Can my cat FannyBaby get it? Carol

Hi Carol- Unfortunately, yes, cats can become infected with the Bird Flu. The good news is that this is very rare. There was a recent incident in 2016 where a an sick cat transmitted the H7N2 virus to a veterinarian. Here's a link to a PDF at the CDC discussing the virus and how it can affect cats.

A cat that is infected with can show signs of fever, lethargy, difficulty breathing, and even neurological symptoms such as circling.

According to the AVMA there is no licensed and approved Bird Flu vaccine for pets.

Generally, there are many more important things to worry about than having FannyBaby catch the Bird Flu. Good care involves ensuring FannyBaby gets regular checkups at the vet. Also be sure to follow the tips on Kittencare.com to keep FannyBaby healthy, happy and safe! Here are some quick tips if you want to be extra healthy as it relates to the avian flu:

• Keep FannyBaby indoors. Avoid exposure to infected birds and do not let her eat pigeons or pigeon carcasses. (again it is unlikely that common pigeons have it, but be careful anyway)


• Feed FannyBaby cooked poultry only (the virus is destroyed at high temps)


• Do not allow stray cats in your home.

Hope this helps, Simba

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