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What is bird flu?
Bird flu – also known as avian influenza – is a super contagious virus that mostly hits wild birds and poultry such as chicken, ducks, geese and swans. Sometimes, though, it can show up in mammals, including cats. Luckily, only 1 strain of bird flu, called H5N1, is likely to infect cats, and even then, incidences are rare.
How do cats catch bird flu?
The most obvious way in which cats can catch bird flu is by eating birds that carry the virus, or by consuming raw cat food that contains contaminated meat, which happened in California in December 2024.
However, cats can also get infected by coming into contact with bird feces or drinking water polluted by them, and in theory, even playing with the feathers of an infected bird can make your cat ill. Luckily, cats catching bird flu is pretty rare.
Is it dangerous when cats catch bird flu and what are the symptoms?
Weirdly, bird flu is more dangerous to cats than cat flu and can in rare cases even be lethal. While vaccines can protect your cat against cat flu, there are unfortunately no vaccines that protect cats against bird flu. Also, the symptoms of bird flu are more severe. They include:
Stage 1
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Fever
Stage 2
- Neurological signs (dizziness, tremors, seizures, blindness,…)
- Severe depression
- Discharge from eyes and nose
- Difficulty breathing
How to prevent cats from catching bird flu
Although you don’t need to take preventative measures year-round, it’s wise to follow the guidelines below if the H5N1 virus is circulating in your area.
- Keep your cat indoors
- Don’t feed your cat raw milk
- Don’t feed your cat raw cat food
- Thoroughly wash your hands after you handled any poultry – such as your backyard chickens – livestock, wild birds, or other animals.
- Take off your shoes before entering the house
So, no need to worry, but a bit of caution can make a big difference.
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