Can cats get the flu off humans?

gizmo's slave · Dec 10, 2005

Gizmo is 12 years old and has started sneezing and his eyes are a little watery. Myself and my husband are just getting over the flu and are wondering if we have infected the cat.

The thing is he hasn't been vaccinated this year because the vet wouldn't do it when we took him for a checkup. The vet discovered an infected bite and treated it first and told us to bring him back for his vaccination later and we forgot

. Do you think we should be worried?

cat_slave · Dec 10, 2005

I don't think cats can get the flu/cold from humans... My cat Figero just got over what the vet called a Kitty Cold. And she said it could have been from a cat fight and a cat bit him and that cat had a cold and gave it to him... and Figero was just in a fight before he got sick... so I would not be woried but just keep a eye on him if it gets worse....

jcat · Dec 10, 2005

Theoretically, no (I did quite a bit of research on the Internet). In practice, yes. Back in September, Jamie got terribly sick (diarrhea and vomiting), and I took him to the vet, who immediately asked if anybody in the family were sick, because she was seeing some cases where cats appeared to be catching a human bug from family members. Neither my husband nor I had been ill, but just before Jamie got sick, he'd been exposed to our niece, who'd been "under the weather" with some sort of bug. The vet drew blood, and sent in a stool sample, and Jamie tested positive for exposure to last year's human flu virus. Apparently, it was a mutated form. He was one of nine cats our vets' office treated for it.

nebula11 · Dec 10, 2005

In throey it can be possibly.....

But usually its the human who catches it from the cat......catching zoonotic parasites that can cause colds, the flu, diarreah...etc.......

However I haven't heard of specific human to cat transmission.....but I dont know everything....

hissy · Dec 10, 2005

Actually only if you had strep. Animals can get strep off of humans but we can't get it off of them unless you allow your cat to kiss you on the lips or something. If you have strep throat and your cat gets up in your face and you breathe on him, then you can give your cat strep.

nebula11 · Dec 10, 2005

Originally Posted by hissy

Actually only if you had strep. Animals can get strep off of humans but we can't get it off of them unless you allow your cat to kiss you on the lips or something. If you have strep throat and your cat gets up in your face and you breathe on him, then you can give your cat strep.

Oh wow I didnt know that......thats really interesting...and good to know...

Thanx MA

coaster · Dec 10, 2005

Originally Posted by jcat

...but just before Jamie got sick, he'd been exposed to our niece, who'd been "under the weather" with some sort of bug. The vet drew blood, and sent in a stool sample, and Jamie tested positive for exposure to last year's human flu virus. Apparently, it was a mutated form.

Now that's REALLY interesting. Goes against everything that's usually taught about cat <--> human disease transmission. I know viruses are tricky little devils and can mutate to pass from one species to another. But I wonder how often that actually happens? Hmmmmm.....good research project for somebody!!

hareting · Dec 10, 2005

if it's flu, it's not possible. flu is caused by virus, and virus infection is species specific, so a virus that infect human can't infect cats (well unless it mutated i guess).

as for disease casued by bacteria, i'm not sure.

python · Dec 10, 2005

Yes, it can happen. About 20 years ago, we had all had a flu type cold. One of my cats got ill. He really looked miserable, sitting under the radiator with his paw over his nose. Took him to the vet who asked if any of us had been ill. The vet said that the cat, Mr T had what we'd had, gave him a shot and within a couple of days Mr T was back to his old self.

I had said to the vet (fearing the worst) "Has he got cat flu?" "Well," said our vet, "he's got flu, but it's not cat flu!" Mr T was absolutely fine after that and never had a reoccurence.

sharky · Dec 10, 2005

Originally Posted by jcat

Theoretically, no (I did quite a bit of research on the Internet). In practice, yes. Back in September, Jamie got terribly sick (diarrhea and vomiting), and I took him to the vet, who immediately asked if anybody in the family were sick, because she was seeing some cases where cats appeared to be catching a human bug from family members. Neither my husband nor I had been ill, but just before Jamie got sick, he'd been exposed to our niece, who'd been "under the weather" with some sort of bug. The vet drew blood, and sent in a stool sample, and Jamie tested positive for exposure to last year's human flu virus. Apparently, it was a mutated form. He was one of nine cats our vets' office treated for it.

I have had this happen a few times... but I also have a immune deficiency so I likely am more likely to catch stuff

jcat · Dec 11, 2005

Originally Posted by coaster

Now that's REALLY interesting. Goes against everything that's usually taught about cat <--> human disease transmission. I know viruses are tricky little devils and can mutate to pass from one species to another. But I wonder how often that actually happens? Hmmmmm.....good research project for somebody!!

It's being researched - the university veterinary college requested (and got) more blood samples, once the lab that did the testing reported the findings. I think it is rare, but I find it worrying in view of the fact that some domestic and wild cats in Asia died of avian flu after eating raw poultry.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no12/04-0759.htm
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/influenza.htm

Can cats get the flu off humans?

gizmo's slave

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cat_slave

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jcat

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nebula11

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hissy

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nebula11

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python

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sharky

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jcat

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