Social distancing is for the dogs — literally.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance urging pet owners to enforce social distancing for their dogs and cats after several animals in the United States contracted the coronavirus. The two cats and one dog who were found to have the coronavirus had close contact with humans who previously had the virus.
While it is very rare for pets to transmit the coronavirus to their owners, the CDC recommended extra precautions because there are still a lot of unknown aspects of COVID-19 that researchers have not had the ability to study.
“Further studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by the virus that causes COVID-19 and the role animals may play in the spread of COVID-19,” the CDC said.
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The department advised that pets follow many of the same social distancing guidelines as other members of the family. Pets should only interact with other animals and people from their household, and if one member of the family contracts the virus, all pets should be kept away from the individual as they recover in isolation. Cats should be kept indoors, and dogs should be walked on a leash while maintaining 6 feet of distance.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, dogs, domestic cats, a tiger, and minks have all tested positive for COVID-19.
