Bird Flu in cats raises new worries about human risk

In cartoons, Sylvester chasing Tweety was just for laughs, but in real life, it could help spread a deadly virus

Avian influenza or bird flu has already killed more than 166 million birds nationwide

Now, scientists are sounding the alarm about a surprising new threat, domestic cats

A new study from the University of Maryland warns infections in cats could help bird flu adapt to mammals, increasing the risk it could one day spread to humans and spark a future pandemic

Unlike cattle, which are routinely tested for bird flu, cats aren't being systematically monitored, even though they often live in close contact with people

And cases are rising, especially among outdoor and farm cats. Most infections have been traced to cats eating infected birds or contaminated raw chicken feed

In some outbreaks, cats also got sick after drinking raw milk from infected dairy cows

Since 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported 126 cases of bird flu in domestic cats, about half of them in the past year

In February 2025 a Portland Oregon resident said his cat became sick after eating premium raw pet food quote it was finally ground to a consistency that I thought was beneficial to my cats After the cat developed a fever and stopped eating

a test confirmed bird flu. He ultimately had to put her down. That same month, New Jersey confirmed

its first case of bird flu in a cat, following similar reports in other states. Bird flu is

often deadly in cats, but not always easy to detect. Some cats show no symptoms at all

meaning they could quietly carry and spread the virus further. Globally, bird flu has infected cats in at least seven countries, including Finland, France, Italy, and South Korea

Most cases occurred in shelters, zoos, and rural areas. Scientists say cats are especially vulnerable because they often hunt wild birds and can be exposed through raw meat

Their bodies contain receptors that let the virus spread more easily, often leading to severe, even fatal infections

So far, there's no evidence of bird flu spreading from cats to humans and human cases are still rare

But public health experts say the virus is only a few mutations away from being able to spread between people

That's why they're urging vets, pet owners and health officials to keep a much closer eye on cats

With Straight Arrow News, I'm Kennedy Felton. Download our app or visit san.com for more