We have had several owners question us recently after hearing that a domestic cat in Germany has become the first European union mammal to die of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu. The cat was found dead the last week of February, 2006 on the Baltic Island of Ruegen, where dozens of birds infected with H5N1 have been found. Cats have been known to acquire the virus from having eaten infected birds. There are no recorded cases of cat-to-human infection, but this latest finding in Germany will undoubtedly raise concerns about the possibility of future cross-species transmission. There is no vaccine to prevent bird flu in cats. There is also currently no need for cat owners in this country to panic, to re-home, or certainly to euthanize their cats because of bird flu concerns.

For an informative press release about bird flu and cats dated 3/3/06 from Dr. James Richards from the Cornell Feline Center at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, visit http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/news/influenza.htm.