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Between Species?

Hi Beth,

I am definitely NOT an expert, but I don't think that a virus can jump species very often - it was a HUGE deal when H1N1 jumped from pigs to people... Could the symptoms have been caused by something that the animals got into? Perhaps some kind of chemical or allergen? That might cause a similar reaction between the dog and cat.... Hope your kitty gets better, and if it doesn't, maybe you should take her to the vet too.

In general, viruses are very species-specific, meaning dog viruses rarely affect cats, etc. Of course, there are important exceptions, such as rabies, but it's rare for a dog's upper respiratory virus (if that's what she has) to affect your cat.

That being said, there are other infectious causes of sneezing in dogs (like bacteria) that theoretically could affect a cat. More commonly there may be environmental issues, such as dust or pollen, that affect both. I find many cats start sneezing when the furnace is first turned on in a home as it kicks up a lot of dust and decreases the humidity. Often, the owners are sneezing more as well. As long as your cat is sneezing only occasionally, is eating well, and has no discharge from her nose or eyes, you can wait a few days to see if it subsides without treatment. If she has any of the above or if it lasts longer that 3-4 days, I'd take her to your veterinarian for an exam.

Drew Weigner, DVM, ABVP

The Cat Doctor