Can cats catch respiratory infections from rabbits?

My roommate adopted a rabbit very late last night, only to realize he's sneezing, congested, and so on. He spoke to his vet this morning and she said he likely has "snuffles" and will probably require an antibiotic.


My oldest cat has asthma & chronic URIs and I worry he'd be more susceptible than the average cat. We are currently keeping them on separate floors(for the sake of a safe intro as well) and I'm having my roommate be cautious about hand washing and tracking hay. His vet said it would be unlikely to spread to cats but I'm still concerned. I'll be asking my cat's new vet soon but I want as many opinions as possible..

Some viruses are specific to individual species and other can cross between them.   Bacterial infections however can affect and cross between different species (including to us humans) so care should always be taken until you know exactly what is causing symptoms like sneezing and runny noses, or other possible bacterial infections like skin wounds.

I think you are sensible to be cautious.

There is also the issues of potential allergens that could trigger asthma. I think you'd have to watch for signs of allergic reactions. 

Do be careful with introductions. We have an article that discusses relevant issues -

 [article="31660"]Cats And Small Furries​[/article]  

Thank you for the info; I am definitely watching for any allergic/asthma response from the hay/bunny. We also have new HEPA filters in the house.


The rabbit went to the vet and she did a culture test and we should have the results sometime next week. She wasn't too concerned about his symptoms & also felt it was unlikely that the cats(even my oldest) could become ill from him. However, we are still exercising caution and keeping them separate until he's treated. She also noted that he was older than the previous owners had said, based upon his testicles. So he will be neutered before he's around the cats as well. So far, everything looks promising and the rabbit is such a character & very sweet.

I'm so glad my roommate took my advice and asked for a culture. The culture came back positive for bordatella. I feel it will be at least a month before I'd feel comfortable with him being around my cats. Until then, he and his hay reside on the third floor with my roommate. I've asked that he be cautious with tracking hay and disinfect(peroxide) thoroughly...

Wow, thank you for the update @OceanBreathes.   Your cats are lucky to live with someone who asks questions and thinks about what can happen when introducing new animals in to a home.   Your room mate's rabbit is lucky too as hopefully it will help with their health care too.