Is coronavirus good news for cats, or not?

Well, if the number of road kills is anything to go by then, yes, there are some advantages for cats in the current lockdown.

The ManxSPCA would normally receive several reports a week about dead cats on our roads but at the moment such calls are a rarity

Less traffic on our roads and the Isle of Man’s 40mph speed limit are clearly helping to save both human and animal lives.

However, there’s less clarity about the link between Covid-19 and cats (or other animals, for that matter). Last week the British Veterinary Association called for cat owners to keep their felines inside if they, the owners, contracted the virus - in effect self-isolating with their cats. Not much fun for cats who are used to the freedom of a cat flap, but necessary because a cat’s fur can act as a fomite, which is an inanimate object that can transfer an infectious disease to a new host.

A cat from a Covid-19 infected household could interact with a cat from a neighbouring household and, technically, could spread the virus when the neighbours stroke, kiss or cuddle their cat.

The fomite issue is a reason why we should all desist from stroking other people’s pets, which can be hard when the friendly cat from down the road comes to keep you company while you do some gardening.

Having established that cats could transfer Covid-19 on their fur, can they actually contract the virus itself?

Coronaviruses have been detected in many mammal and bird species, including cats, over the years and vaccines exist for some of them.

A cat living with an infected owner in Belgium tested positive on March 24 and the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in an animal in the USA was documented on April 5 when four-year-old Nadia, a Malayan tiger at a zoo in New York, was found to have contracted the virus.

She is most likely to have been infected by an asymptomatic zookeeper.

But transmission from human to animal is low, with a tiny number of cases reported since the early days of the pandemic.

Importantly, there is no proof that animals can transmit the disease to humans, other than through the fomite scenario, and the World Health Organisation states that there is no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit Covid-19.

While the pandemic takes its course, life in the ManxSPCA cattery carries on as normal as far as its residents are concerned.

Denis, super-chilled and laid-back cat that he is, is blissfully unaware of what’s happening in the world around him.

As long as he has two good meals a day, toys to play with and a sprinkling of catnip he’s happy.

He came to us as a stray from Onchan a few weeks ago and so he’s quite independent, but he does enjoy human company and he loves to be stroked. He tolerates other cats but he’s equally happy on his own.

We are still placing our animals for adoption on a very careful basis.

We do as much of the adoption process as possible using videos and pictures of the animals, and having in depth conversations about them with potential adopters.

All the paperwork can be done electronically or by post.

The eventual transportation of our cats is managed with prolific use of disposable gloves and social distancing, and clear post-adoption instructions about how to handle the cat, and a reminder to disinfect the cat carrier.

Please do not call into Ard Jerkyll, even if you are interested in adopting an animal. Visits are by arrangement only, so that we can keep everyone safe.