Any worries living with a cat in lockdown as pet cats can come and go as they please.

16 posts about someone's (so far) unfounded fears and clearly a dislike of cats. Aren't people cruel? That's an understatement. Rather than waste time on here, you'd be better off putting warning signs up around your property and maybe speaking to cat owners where you live - you'll hopefully find someone happy to listen to your concerns, or maybe not.

Methinks notanan is notacatperson either. I have a cunning plan*. We will round up all the stray cats, string them up on those dangerous 5G phone masks and burn them whilst chanting an anti covid incantation a la Wicker Man.* It might just work; especially if we throw in a few turnips. And on that cheerful note I shall go and sit in the garden for a while whilst awaiting the daily government propaganda debriefing. And work out which bit of my house [ie which painting on the wall/books on the bookshelf] to use when I'm Skyped on National television.

I don't have a "cat problem" where I live. My neighbours keep their pets on their own properties.

I havent kept cats since I moved from rural to urban.

So its not a problem for me.

But anyone who thinks their cat will be welcome or tolerated if let out to roam around a residential area right now is seriously kidding themselves!

If a cat comes into your garden and you don’t touch it or go anywhere near it how is it going to pass the virus on to you -assuming that it is a carrier?
Isn’t everyone just getting a tad paranoid here?
I’m a self isolator for three months but I have not got paranoid yet. We have to be careful but maybe we should stop obsessing over every little thing.
The husband has to go out for horse feed and hay. Wear gloves and wash hands.
I have to go out to feed my horses. They can’t starve.
But I don’t see anyone or speak to anyone. Just the cat.
And I wash my hands and don’t touch my face after touching the dogs.

It doesn't really matter what is proven or said people are afraid and will act irrationally. As is noted from some of these posts

That is true sodapop but personally I’m trying hard to get a grip and keep things in perspective. I didn’t mean to sound rude just common sense and keep hysteria at bay.

For those who don't follow links, here is the statement from the BVA, who can be taken to know more about this than the rest of us.

"BVA statement on cats and Covid-19

The British Veterinary Association has clarified its position in light of a report on the BBC news website relating to cats and coronavirus. The headline of the article suggested that veterinary advice was to keep all cats indoors, but BVA has explained this advice is only in relation to cats in infected households or where people are self-isolating.

In response to questions from the BBC about general advice for pet owners, BVA had given information that related to both general advice and specific advice for those in infected households, but not made the distinction clear.

BVA President Daniella Dos Santos said:

“It’s incredibly important that information and advice for the public is clear and we regret that this story will have caused worry and upset amongst cat owners. {Not just cat owners!!!}
“We are not advising that all cats are kept indoors. Only cats from infected households or where their owners are self-isolating, and only if the cat is happy to be kept indoors. Some cats cannot stay indoors due to stress-related medical reasons.

“There have been a tiny number of cases of Covid-19 in animals and in all cases, it is likely that the transmission was human to animal. There is no evidence that pets can pass Covid-19 to their owners.

“From the small number of cases it appears that dogs do not show symptoms, but cats can show clinical signs of the disease.

“It is also the case that animals can act as fomites, as the virus could be on their fur in the same way it is on other surfaces, such as tables and doorknobs. That’s why our main advice for pet owners continues to be to practise good hand hygiene.

“And, as a precaution, for pet owners who have Covid-19 or who are self-isolating we are recommending that you keep your cat indoors if possible, during that time.

“It is very important that people don’t panic about their pets. There is no evidence that animals can pass the disease to humans.”

[If panic spreads, animal shelters will be over whelmed with pets, or they might even just be abandoned in the wild, to roam in packs. That would be a really bad scenario.]

Indeed. Don’t forget it was homo-sapiens who possibly passed to the feline species.

It was Homo sapiens who started the bloody thing in the first place.