The bird flu has reached Germany - and cats can catch it, too! :(

[icedtea]

i hope your kitties are all safe. i hope you do all you can to keep peggy nside. she will get over her homesickness for the outside if you play with her etc.

[Kirsten]

Hey, are you sure that cats can get it too? How did you find out? And, HOW can the get it?

Lut, there are lots of articles on the internet regarding cats and the avian flu.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...2_birdflu.html

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6352

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5897967/

http://effectmeasure.blogspot.com/20...-bird-flu.html

http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/20/news/midcaps/banfield/

It's very scary, I know!

And yes, they can pick up the virus from eating infected birds.

and this brings me to another question: if someone has the normal flue, can an indoor pet get it from you ?

Farruska, I'm not sure, but I think I read somewhere that they can get the flu from us, but it depends on the type of the virus, I think...

i hope you do all you can to keep peggy nside. she will get over her homesickness for the outside if you play with her etc.

icedtea, Peggy is not my cat, she's my mother's cat and lives in her home. If she would live with me, she wouldn't be allowed to go outside. I had many arguments with my mother in the past because of this, but unfortunately, she won't listen to me.

Kirsten

[kb2yjx]

Our vet said cats cannot catch our colds, none can they give us a cold. Dare I go out on a limb and say they cannot get the flu from us??? Although, at our house, neither Barry nor I have been ill, and the some of the cats act as if they are under the weather, ie, lethargic, not eating, sleeping alot, craving heat, and in the next day or two they are fine and back to their old selves. I have made a strict habit of NEVER EVER coming into the house with the shoes that I wear to the clinic and hospital!!! The shoes are kept in the garage!!! I thought about that once and wonder what kind of germs I was exposing them to by coming in the house with my work shoes!!
This bird flu is sure getting scary! Kirsten, thanks for all those sites to review!!!

[Kirsten]

I just heard the bad news...

It's scary stuff!

I hope that people won't panic now and try to get rid of their cats. But it would definitely be a good idea to keep them inside to protect them.

Kirsten

[kb2yjx]

Barry just got in from work. He said his boss told him that a cat in France had died of the bird flu!!! John(the boss)said he has been tracking this for over a year and said that this would happen!!!! This is getting REALLY scary! I heard on the radio this morning that the bird flu has hit Sweden!!! HAs anyone spoken to a vet about the cats getting infected??!!!

[Kirsten]

HAs anyone spoken to a vet about the cats getting infected??!!!

Not yet, but I will...

Kirsten

[Kirsten]

I will.

If I got it right, people in the affected areas have been told now to keep their cats inside, and have their dogs on a leash.

All the infos I gathered so far can be read here: www.catmom.de , and I will update the page every time I learn something new.

Kirsten

[kb2yjx]

The BBC has an excellent article about the bird flu. I reread my post from yesterday. I think I meant to say: has anyone asked the vet about the cats getting vaccinated?? Sorry for the senior moment!!!

[Kirsten]

No, I haven't asked yet, but I read yesterday that vaccination for cats isn't planned at this point, as there is no vaccine.

Kirsten

[Craftlady]

What is even more sad is pet owners are flooding shelters in Europe with their cats.
I read this on another pet site I frequent from a poster in Europe.
Sad people are starting to panic without useful, informative information.

[Kirsten]

This is what I feared!

Kirsten

[kb2yjx]

Yes, I have heard that too!!! All they have to do is keep the cat inside!!

[ChrisH]

I haven't heard any reports on cats being dumped over here,yet, but some people are dumping their pet birds.

Pets dumped amid bird flu fears
A wildlife rescue centre says pet birds are being dumped by their owners due to fears over Avian flu.

Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, in Nuneaton, has had 12 birds, including budgies, cockatiels and love birds, left in its care in the past week.
Owner Geoff Grewcock said the centre does not usually receive domestic birds unless their owners die or are unwell.
He said people leaving their pets tell him it is due to bird flu, but he said they are panicking unnecessarily.

Incidents increasing

"People are getting so scared but it is so sad as these type of birds which live inside the house won't get bird flu," Mr Grewcock said.

Last week a canary was dumped at the Countryside Bird Farm in Feckenham, Worcestershire. Its owner was concerned about bird flu.
An RSPB spokeswoman said she was aware of an increase in such incidents.
She said: "We urge people not to dump their pets as there is no evidence of bird flu in this country anyway and pet birds are not outdoors."

The Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) is also concerned people are overreacting.
It is asking them to call only if they find groups of dead wild birds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/c...re/4768742.stm

[Kirsten]

I thought about this problem for days, and decided to post a reminder on my bird flu information page at www.catmom.de.

I wrote:

But please keep in mind...

Surely the bird flu is a serious threat. Nevertheless I would like to remind you not to panic and not to consider to get "rid" of your cat, bird or any other pet that lives with you. There's absolutely no need to!

Instead, try to get as much information as possible, and - if you live in an affected area - follow the precautionary measures to protect you and your pet.

An animal is a living being with feelings and emotions, and it will give you its love as long as it lives. It also has a right to have a loving home, together with "its" humans. Don't reject its friendship by allowing panic to take over, and by letting your fear suggest you that your pet friend now becomes a danger to you.


I know it won't help much, as not too many people are reading the page, but I thought as I already posted some facts about the disease, people should also be reminded not to panic.

My heart breaks for every animal that's losing it's home now because people are scared and uninformed.

Kirsten

[tonu]

Hi all
One day a person said to me that people leaving their pets tell him it is due to bird flu, i give him a advise to take tamiflu drug for more information visit here- http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s3353-s-tamiflu.aspx it has good collection of information, you will be definitely find your self good with it. People are getting so scared but it is so sad as these types of birds, which live inside the house. So keep concentrate on it carefully.