There is excitement in the press as it appears that a single domestic cat has been proved to have caught sars-Cov-2 from its 'people' (https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/pet-cat-diagnosed-with-covid-19-in-first-uk-case-of-animal-infection/ar-BB17eTuA). All the inhabitants of the house involved have made a full recovery, so that's alright! Not quite! The virus 'jumping' from bats to humans (possibly via a Pangolin) was certainly more unlikely than its going from humans to cats. Some people are very familiar with their cats and dogs, sometimes kissing them on the face (an action that should probably be discouraged at this time). I suspect that not many pets have been tested for the virus over lockdown, as a) vets have not been very active; b) owners have been told categorically that they cannot catch the infection from their pets (so they assume that vice versa applies), c) the symptoms in companion animals are unclear and d) pet keepers may have difficulty getting someone to test 'kitty'. It would be very sad if there were major outbreaks in companion animals. Many people (especially older people or folk with health conditions, who are isolating or in quarantine) benefit greatly from having pets (it's good for mental and physical health). If sars-Cov-2 did spread in cats or dogs, you couldn't get these animals to socially distance or wear face-masks. It might be safer to go for non-Mammalian pets such as aquarium fish, a boa constrictor or a parrot! A real doomsday situation would occur if the virus made the jump to pigs, sheep or cattle but people don't seem to be monitoring this (remote?) possibility either.
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