KFF Health News Report: House Cats With Bird Flu Could Pose a Risk to Public Health
House Cats With Bird Flu Could Pose a Risk to Public Health
By Sarah Boden, February 10, 2025
More than 80 domestic cats, among many other types of mammals, have been confirmed to have had bird flu since 2022 — generally barn cats that lived on dairy farms, as well as feral cats and pets that spend time outdoors and likely caught it by hunting diseased rodents or wild birds.
Now, a small but growing number of house cats have gotten sick from H5N1, the bird flu strain driving the current U.S. outbreak, after eating raw food or drinking unpasteurized milk. Some of those cats died.