Coronavirus in Cats (COVID-19): Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment

Pete Wedderburn / Cats.com

The Coronavirus (an RNA virus) that affects humans in the COVID19 pandemic has the full name of SARS-CoV-2. Many cat owners have questions about how this may – or may not – affect their own cat as well as domestic cat populations.

This article is an explainer of the science behind what we know about feline coronavirus infections generally, as well as COVID-19 in cats specifically, to date.

Other Names: Feline enteric coronavirus, FeCV, feline infectious peritonitis, FIP; Sars-cov-2, COVID-19.

Common Symptoms: FeCV/FIP: bloated, swollen abdomen, lethargy, neurologic signs like poor balance (vestibular) and seizures. COVID-19: mild upper respiratory symptoms like sneezing, coughing, and eye discharge; mild digestive signs like vomiting and decrease in appetite.

Diagnosis: Antibody testing for FeCV (only tests exposure, which is common in cats but not confirmatory for FIP); Samples of abdominal fluid can be supportive of FIP. Real time PCR and serologic testing for COVID-19 coronavirus.

Requires Ongoing Medication: No

Vaccine Available: Not for COVID-19 for cats; for FeCV there is a vaccine but it is not recommended by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) because by the time most cats reach the age to qualify for the vaccine at 16 weeks, they have likely already had exposure to FeCV. The FeCV vaccine provides no cross protection for COVID-19.

Treatment Options: FIP that results from FeCV infection is generally fatal with no approved treatment. A newer medication that is not available in the US shows some promise but evidence for use is still not well founded. All evidence shows that cats contracting COVID-19 have mild, transient signs that resolve on their own after several days.

Home Remedies: None.

The History of Cats and Coronavirus Infection

The situation about cats and coronaviruses was complex before the global pandemic, and now it is even more complicated. The most well-known aspect of this is the background to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which is caused by a feline coronavirus (FCov). This is one of the more common serious infectious diseases to affect pet cats.

The issue starts with an enteric (intestinal) feline coronavirus known as feline enteric coronavirus (FeCV) that’s found in 80-90% of cats living in multicat households and catteries. Viral replication and virulence are at a high level, affecting cats from just a few weeks of age to several years of age. Nearly all of these infections are harmless, with no signs of illness, or just mild signs of diarrhea.

The virus is shed in the feces, spreading easily between cats, commonly via litter boxes, surviving in the environment for up to seven weeks. A new young cat in a household will be infected orally, mostly via contact with litter trays or boxes. Direct spread of this viral infection from cat to cat rarely happens.

Following FeCV infection, the virus can be found in the gastrointestinal tract and the blood for a short period, and then may be shed in the feces, for weeks, months, or in some cases, for life. However, in a very small proportion of FeCV-infected cats, the relatively benign virus mutates to become the feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) virulent biotype, which goes on to cause Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).

The development of FIP is a complex series of events, involving the immune response and macrophages interacting with pathogens in specific ways. Signs of illness include weight loss, a swollen abdomen, and other signs. Researchers in veterinary medicine such as Niels Pedersen and Diane Addie have carried out exceptional work on understanding the pathogenesis of this disease.

While FIP used to be considered an invariably fatal disease, developments in just the last couple years have led to several treatment options (ironically, some were discovered through researching their applications for treating people for COVID-19).

FIP is now very treatable and can be cured in a majority of cases. For more details about this condition, including how to make a definitive diagnosis of FIP (e.g. biopsy of granulomatous lesions), as well as discussions of treatment options, please read our specific article about Feline Infectious Peritonitis.

The 2020 pandemic-linked coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is completely different from feline enteric coronavirus, and it can affect cats in a very different way. The rest of this article will cover this topic.

For the sake of ease of understanding, for the remainder of this article, coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) will be referred to simply as COVID-19.

​How Do Cats Get Coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2), the Cause of COVID-19?

Studies on COVID-19 in cats have become less common after 2022. But research looking at large populations of cats in different regions from New York City to Brazil to Thailand to Wuhan itself where the pandemic started in China has come to similar conclusions even several years after the COVID-19 pandemic has quieted down.

Studies have found that cats can be infected with COVID-19 virus, and that infected cats can transmit the virus to other cats. One study from Wuhan found that multiple cats in an area had detectable virus, or antibodies suggestive of prior infection with the virus.

A study in Japan similarly found that cats without detectable virus housed with cats found to be seropositive for COVID-19 were also found to develop a positive test result within 3 days themselves.

But despite the fact that it’s very clear cats can acquire the virus, and test positive for it, one conclusion drawn even several years later is that infected cats generally acquire the infection from humans. The previously mentioned study from Wuhan found that cats with the highest virus load shared households with infected people.

A study in New York City, a hub of the pandemic in 2020, which looked at about 80 privately owned cats found a prevalence of about 40-50% testing positive for COVID-19 in homes where one or more owners in the home tested positive.

Another study in Brazil found a similar percentage of cats tested positive in a home where a human tested positive for COVID-19 at about 40%.

Given these were confirmed indoor cats and the studies looked at cases only in 2020 during the lockdown, the cats could not have acquired a positive result any way other than exposure to a human in the home.

Studies also looking at dogs have found that while detectable virus has been found in dogs, the percentage of dogs is significantly less compared to cats.

The science behind this is based on how the virus enters cells: SARS-CoV-2 binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors as part of the infection process in humans. It is thought that the virus may be able to bind to ACE2 receptors in cats in the same way, then being able to enter cat cells.

​How COVID-19 Affects Cats?

A cat coughing doesn’t always necessitate a trip to the vet, but in some cases, a vet visit may be essential. Your vet can help you to identify and resolve the underlying cause of your cat’s cough. Pete Wedderburn / Cats.com

There have only been a small number of cats in real world situations (i.e. not in the laboratory) that are known to have fallen ill with COVID-19. In one case in Belgium, a cat developed mild gastrointestinal and respiratory signs, making a full recovery within ten days.

In two cats from New York that were infected, both had mild respiratory signs and made a full recovery. In other cases, lethargy, mild respiratory, or digestive clinical signs (sneezing, coughing, ocular discharge, vomiting, and anorexia) have been noted.

Both lions and tigers at the Bronx Zoo were found to test positive for COVID-19 (believed to have acquired it from their handlers) and showed mild respiratory signs that resolved on their own.

As well as the above examples, a small group (less than thirty) of dogs and cats in the UK developed signs of myocarditis 3 – 6 weeks after their owners had developed COVID-19 respiratory symptoms and tested PCR positive for COVID-19.

In the cases that were experimentally infected in a laboratory, the cats showed no signs of disease. They only tested positive for exposure.

Although it is clear now that cats may more easily acquire COVID-19 (at least compared to dogs), there is little evidence of cats transmitting the virus back to humans.

​Clinical Signs of COVID-19 in Cats

The clinical signs of COVID-19 in most affected cats seem to be very mild, with either gastrointestinal signs (vomiting and/or diarrhea) or respiratory signs (sneezing/ coughing, ocular discharge) along with lethargy and anorexia. To date, all known cases have made full recoveries, often without the need for intense treatment.

The recent small group of cats and dogs diagnosed with myocarditis linked to COVID-19 in the UK, showed signs of lethargy, inappetence, syncopal events (fainting), tachypnoea/dyspnea (fast or labored breathing).

The true prevalence of COVID-19 in cats is currently unknown since the pandemic has quieted down. While COVID-19 still exists and causes illness in people, the advent of vaccination and the adaptability in immune systems to virus exposure has made it less of a priority public health concern.

In general, some more recent studies looking back at the early pandemic do show prevalence in cats of up to 40-50% in households where humans tested positive for COVID-19 did occur.

In a majority of cases, these cats showed no signs of respiratory illness. Even in cases where respiratory illness was present, it was hard to differentiate whether COVID was truly related versus more common causes of upper respiratory signs in cats like feline herpesvirus.

Can Cats Give COVID-19 to Me or My Family?

Even several years after the pandemic and with confirmation that cats can acquire viral infection more easily than dogs (and certainly with some uncertainty at the time of the pandemic) it is widely believed that cats do not play a significant role in transmission of COVID-19 back to people.

While suspected transmission has been documented, it is considered especially rare. In a majority of cases even looking back at the height of the pandemic, cats infected with the virus acquired it from human companions, and not the other way around.

One explanation is that while cats can be infected and may test positive for exposure, the virus cannot often amplify in a cat to a degree significant enough (like it can in humans) to transmit it back. This is supported by so many cats testing positive but not showing noticeable signs of illness.

And with a majority of cats not showing signs like sneezing and coughing when infected, the route of transmission through projected secretions is rarely present.

​Diagnosis of COVID-19 in Cats

It’s very likely that your veterinarian may carry out routine blood work, including the usual panel of diagnostic tests and biochemistry profiles. Pete Wedderburn / Cats.com

It’s not routine to test cats for COVID-19. If your cat has upper respiratory signs like sneezing, coughing, or congestion, there are other far more common reasons to see this happen.

However, if COVID-19 is suspected in a cat, and if there is a related public health concern, a veterinarian would still follow the usual veterinary diagnostic routine.

1. Detailed History Taking

Your vet will discuss every aspect of your cat’s condition and overall cat health, including the history of COVID-19 cases in humans in the household.

​ ​2. Physical Examination

Your veterinarian will check your cat over carefully, checking for the signs of COVID-19 in cats as listed above. Your vet will carry out auscultation of your cat’s chest (listening with a stethoscope), listening to the lungs as well as assessing your cat’s heart rate and sounds.

​ ​3. Routine Blood Tests

It’s very likely that your veterinarian may carry out routine blood work, including the usual panel of diagnostic tests, such as hematology (blood cell count) and biochemistry profiles. This is important to rule out other causes of the signs that have been seen.

​ ​4. Specialised Tests

Before testing for COVID-19, your vet may decide to rule out other causes first. This may include specialized testing for both common viral and bacterial causes of respiratory infection.

If COVID-19 is suspected, the two main tests that may be considered would be:

• RT-PCR: a Polymerase Chain Reaction test (PCR test) on a swab to search for genetic material (antigen) specific to the virus (e.g. the spike protein): positive results indicate that the virus is present in the cat’s system. This can be done on a swab from the oral cavity or rectum, depending on the signs shown by the cat.
• Serology: a blood sample is tested for the presence of specific FCov antibodies to the COVID-19 virus: a positive antibody titer would indicate that the cat’s immune system has reacted to exposure to the virus by producing antibodies.

On their page dedicated to this topic, IDEXX labs includes a flowchart of how and when it may be decided to test a cat for COVID-19. Your veterinarian may make this decision or may make it in connection with public health officials.

​ ​5. Other Tests

Other investigations, including x-rays, ultrasound examination, electrocardiograms (EKGs), urine tests and others may be carried out as part of a general investigation into your cat’s illness. These are not specific to COVID-19.

The UK cases that suffered myocarditis were shown to have congestive heart failure which was confirmed on thoracic radiographs, and the presence of significant ventricular arrhythmias (irregular heart beats) were identified on electrocardiographic (EKG) recording.

Your veterinarian will advise you on which detailed investigations are needed.

​Treatment of COVID-19 in Cats

COVID-19 in cats typically causes only mild, self-limiting illness, and most recover fully. Treatment is usually not required beyond supportive care, and antiviral therapy is not generally indicated. Pete Wedderburn / Cats.com

COVID-19 in cats seems to only cause mild signs of illness that are self-limiting, with all cats making a full recovery. There is no need for any specific treatment: simple, supportive care, using a general approach to ease any signs of illness, is all that’s needed. Antiviral treatment does not seem to be indicated, even several years after the pandemic.

If treatment was needed, options might include an antiviral product such as interferon (both feline and human recombinant products). Your veterinarian may need to consult with a specialist or human public health official to determine if this is indicated.

In the UK cases that were linked to myocarditis, all affected animals improved with cage rest, oxygen therapy, short term diuretics and, in some cases, anti-arrhythmic therapy with sotalol and fish oil supplementation, before being discharged on oral medications after a few days of intensive care.

​Prognosis of COVID-19 in Cats

The prognosis for cats with COVID-19 is very good, to date, with all affected cats making a full recovery.

Note: We continue to learn more about COVID-19 as time passes. This page was updated in late 2026 and will continue to be updated if any significant new findings become apparent.