12/31/2024
*dusts off my soapbox*
We’re going to talk about avian flu aka bird flu aka H5N1 aka avian influenza.
H5N1 is the next pandemic and it is starting right now. More than 70% of California’s dairy cattle are infected. It was detected in humans, and in Louisiana, has recently begun to mutate.
Why am I talking about it? Cats are HIGHLY susceptible to H5N1 and it is HIGHLY lethal to them. (Check the information from the American Veterinary Medical Association at the link for information.)
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What can you do? Two things:
1) Your cats need to become indoor-only. At the very least, only supervised outside time on a harness and leash.
2) Do not feed them or allow them to eat raw meat of any kind. Not a bird in the yard, not raw food from a brand, not raw chicken from the store or local butcher. No raw milk ever.
Advanced level:
3) Wash your hands the moment you get home. Consider, if you’ve been around feral/stray cats, birds or farm animals, changing clothes outside the house and laundering them with a disinfecting detergent before bringing them inside.
And, make sure to get information from trustworthy sources, like the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Thanks for playing!
Since the U.S. outbreak of avian influenza A (H5N1) in dairy cattle began in March 2024, dozens of cats are known to have contracted the virus, including barn and feral cats, indoor cats, and big cats in zoos and in the wild (e.g., mountain lions, tigers, leopards, and bobcats).
