New York cats become 1st pets to test positive for coronavirus in the U.S.
The first known instances of pets contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus in the United States have been confirmed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Services Laboratories said on Wednesday that two pet cats in separate areas of New York tested positive for the coronavirus, Axios reports. In the case of the first cat, no one in the household had tested positive for COVID-19, although in the second case, the owner did test positive. Both cats are expected to recover after having mild respiratory illnesses, a statement said.
The USDA said "these are the first pets in the United States to test positive" for the coronavirus. In the case of the first pet, the "virus may have been transmitted to this cat by mildly ill or asymptomatic household members or through contact with an infected person outside its home," officials said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Associated Press notes this "adds to a small number of confirmed cases of the virus in animals worldwide" after seven tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo previously tested positive. The CDC's Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, though, noted to the AP that "there's no evidence that pets are playing a role in spreading this disease to people" and that "we don't want people to panic" or "be afraid of pets." Those who become sick with COVID-19 are, however, recommended to limit contact with pets, and the CDC suggests keeping cats indoors.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Marbled tea eggs recipe
The Week Recommends With a beautiful exterior, these eggs are also marked by their soft yolk
By The Week UK Published
-
The Washington Post: kowtowing to Trump?
Talking Point The newspaper's opinion editor has handed in his notice following edict from Jeff Bezos
By The Week UK Published
-
Gene Hackman: the death of a Hollywood legend
The French Connection actor had an extraordinary gift for making characters believable
By The Week UK Published
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New form of H5N1 bird flu found in US dairy cows
Speed Read This new form of bird flu is different from the version that spread through herds in the last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Microplastics accumulating in human brains, study finds
Speed Read The amount of tiny plastic particles found in human brains increased dramatically from 2016 to 2024
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
FDA approves painkiller said to thwart addiction
Speed Read Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx, is the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment approved by the FDA in 20 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Study finds possible alternative abortion pill
Speed Read An emergency contraception (morning-after) pill called Ella could be an alternative to mifepristone for abortions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published