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.

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Brendan Morrow

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.