Cat tests positive for coronavirus after catching bug from owner

A cat in Belgium has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first known feline to contract the infectious disease.

The sick pet in Liège tested positive after showing symptoms typical of COVID-19, the Brussels Times reported

Officials believe the cat contracted the virus from its owner, who started showing symptoms about a week before their pet.

Professor Steven Van Gucht, a Doctoral Researcher at Ghent University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, said the cat had diarrhoea, was vomiting and had breathing difficulties.

The virus was picked up when researchers tested the cat's faeces, he said.

The cat's current condition is not known.

Van Gucht described the instance as an 'isolated case' and said the risk of animal-to-human transmission was 'very small'.

While there have been no other reported cases of cats catching the potentially deadly virus, at least one dog has returned a positive test for COVID-19.

The first dog to 'catch' coronavirus died about a fortnight ago, after being cleared of the disease and released from quarantine.

The 17-year-old Pomeranian from Hong Kong, which had been cleared of Covid-19 after initial suspicions of the infection were proven unfounded despite a 'weak positive' diagnosis, passed away on Wednesday, just two days after returning home.

Vets in the Asian financial hub said the dog's death could have been because of the stress and anxiety of being in quarantine and away from its family.

Information provided by the World Health Organisation stated there was no evidence that a dog, cat or any other pet could transmit COVID-19 to a human.