Guest post by Ingrid R. Niesman, MS PhD
As COVID-19 continues to spread globally among humans, veterinarians are starting to track COVID in animals as well.Continue Reading
Human Health
A Feline Disease May Hold the Key to Beating Back COVID-19
Guest post by Ingrid R. Niesman, MS PhD
Unprecedented circumstances provide opportunities when you least expect them. In our current crisis, cats may hold the key to beating back the SARS-CoV-2 virus.Continue Reading
Sunday Quotes: Self Care
Another slightly more wordy than usual Sunday post, but I felt that it’s an important topic right now that deserves more than just a quote.
In these challenging times, taking care of yourself has become more important than ever, both in terms of your physical as well as your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Remember that the old adage of putting your own oxygen mask on first is true for a reason: you can’t help others unless you’re in good enough shape to do so.Continue Reading
A New Study Says the Novel Coronavirus Can Infect Cats, But There’s No Need to Panic
Guest post by Ingrid R. Niesman, MS PhD
Yesterday we ran ran my piece titled One Cat Out of Million is Not a Trend: A Science-Based Look at the Unlikely Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Cats, which explained my analysis on ACE2 and cats, which supported the current belief that it is highly unlikely that cats could get infected by the novel coronavirus. The same day, Biorxiv, an open source platform for researchers to put up early and tentative results, published a paper by researchers in China that claimed that cats and ferrets can be infected. Papers published on Biorxiv are not peer-reviewed and represent data that might never eventually become published works. “Junk science” was a common response I received as I reached out to colleagues.Continue Reading
Leading Veterinary Diagnostic Company Sees No COVID-19 in Pets
Finally some good news for all of us who have been worried about whether cats can get or transmit the new coronavirus. Iddexx, a global leader in veterinary diagnostics and software, announced today that the company has seen no positive results in pets to date of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus strain responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) respiratory outbreak in humans. Thousands of canine and feline specimens tested surfaced no positive results to date.Continue Reading
Cats Are Not Small Dogs: Don’t Panic About COVID-19 Just Yet
Guest post by Ingrid R. Niesman, MS PhD
Recent headlines have many pet owners spooked, including myself. If there is one sure bet about viruses, they mutate and mutate rapidly. This epidemic is spreading extremely quickly and it was only a matter of time before a pet tested positive.Continue Reading
The New Coronavirus and Cats: What You Should Know
Last updated March 6, 2020
Cats are Not Small Dogs: Don’t Panic About COVID-19 Just Yet
Recent headlines have many pet owners spooked. This epidemic is spreading extremely quickly. Ingrid R. Niesman, MS, PhD, takes a look at what we know as of right now about how the coronavirus may or may not impact cats.
Original post
The novel coronavirus, now known as COVID-19 or 2019n-COV, has caused great concern around the world. Depending on which news outlet you follow, your reaction may range from normal awareness to outright alarm. For cat parents, a big worry is whether the virus could affect cats.
Both WHO (World Health Organization) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) have stated that at present, there is no evidence that any pets have been infected or spread the virus, although both acknowledge that this is a developing situation. We simply don’t know enough about this virus yet.Continue Reading
The Cat’s Purr: A Biomechanical Healing Mechanism?
We all know how wonderful it is to be around a purring cat. If there’s anything more soothing than to be lulled to sleep or woken up by the sound of purring, I don’ t know what it is. But a cat’s purr is not only calming and relaxing: research shows that the cat’s purr has healing properties and can actually heal bones, muscles and tendons.Continue Reading
How Choosing the Right Cosmetics Benefits Your Cats
Conscious living means making conscious choices about all aspects of our lives, including the cosmetics we use on ourselves. Using chemical free cosmetics is not just better for you, it’s also better for your cats, because not only does your skin come in contact with those products, but so do your cat’s fur, paws, and mouth – and some of the chemicals used in conventional cosmetics can be harmful to both humans and cats.Continue Reading
New Study Busts Myth About Cats and Mental Health Problems
After years of misinformation spread in the mainstream press and prior research suggesting that people infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii are at an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, a new study finally confirms that cats do not pose a risk to anyone’s mental health.
Of course, we’ve known all along that not only do cats not pose a threat to our mental health, they actually help improve it. After all, that’s what our Sunday columns, Conscious Cat Sunday and Sunday Purrs of Wisdom, are all about! But it’s still nice to see that there’s finally research that debunks all the ridiculous and plain wrong information that’s been circulating.Continue Reading
Living With Cats When You’re Immunocompromised
Millions of Americans have conditions that compromise their immune system, including diabetes, kidney failure, HIV, autoimmune disease, organ transplants, and cancer. An immunocompromised patient’s immune system is weakened either by the disease, or by the drugs used to treat the disease. As a result, these individuals have a reduced ability to fight off opportunistic infections which would normally not affect a healthy person.
Numerous studies have shown that pets have a beneficial effect on human health, most physicians now agree that by following simple, common sense guidelines, immunocompromised patients can minimize the risk of infection without having to give up their feline family members.Continue Reading