Already people are complaining about the possible government order to keep all cats inside the house.

Cats can get Birdflu, cats eat birds, ...

There are people yelling that NOOOO their cat NEVER catches birds, their cat doesn't do that at all!! And that poor poor Kitty has to stay inside the house and isn't allowed to go out.
These people are not only dumb but also very irresponsible; if a cat is found contaminated with Birdflu (better said...when...I suspect it won't take very long untill they find an infected cat, in Austria and Germany there already are several)
Just obey the government order when they announce it...keep those cats inside and buy them some extra toys and such...or take them outside on a leash.

The risk is too big...humans can get the birdflu too and die from it

But then there are the stray cats still.
And where do they usually end up? Right, at animalshelters.
We get sick cats more often of who we don't know what is wrong with them
Only after several tests will we know what to illness is.
Normally all cats go into quaranteen for 2 weeks and there is a protective clothing and disinfecting policy, but I think this will be even stricter in the following days or weeks.
It's a scary idea that people can get it and die from it...
I usually work in the quaranteens, I see doom scenarios happening...


"The dangerous variant of the Birdflu has been found in Austria in three alive cats. The cats are at an animalshelter now.
The cats are still alive, according to the ministery says the Austria pressburo APA. Two of the three animals recovered from the virus.

Last month H5N1 was found on the German island Rügen in a dead cat.
He ate a bird that was infected with the virus. This lead to the advice to keep cats inside, in birdflu areas within the EU."


In Austria and Germany cat owners are panicking.
They all want to dump their cats, shelters and vets are flooded with calls and requests to euthanise or take in cats.

I hope it won't happen but I'm sure it will...I'll soon hear what precautions we have to take at the shelter if the Birdflu is found in cats in the Netherlands. If a panick breaks out on top of that, we seriously will need more room, the shelters are filled as it is...
:-s

What do you think about the order to keep cats indoor?
Are you afraid of the Birdflu, that there will be an epidemic, or mutation into an even more dangerous virus?

My cat's an inside cat. I didn't do it to him on purpose, but after Hurricane Ivan it just worked out that way. It wasn't safe for him to be outside.

Thank god. I don't want my baby getting sick. No no no. I love my cat.

I don't freak out over things like this. What happens.. happens.

Well, I guess I have to be more worried about this than other people perhaps, because I work in a place which will be directly affected/infected, I will be working in the midst of the virus if it breaks out here (which is only a matter of time I believe)

im thinking about stopping my cat from going just now and it hasnt even reached us yet..but i've got double the problem since not only do i have a cat, i have a ruddy bird!

im more worried about them catching it than me!

that is something i don't have to worry about at all. because our cats are inside cats. so there should be no problem.

I think this 'pandemic' was invented by Tamiflu...Everytime a new lot is made they sell out all over the world. That is, before it is been even tested on birdflu because...wait for it...they can't test it until it happens. So some people have made a killing in selling out a drug that *might help symptoms.

As for the cats indoors order. I wouldn't freak out about it. Just avoid eating cats for a little while...

Wether Tamiflu is making profit or not, does not change the fact that birds all over the world are spreading this virus, neither the fact that cats get infected now too...nor the fact that there is a risk of mutating into a humanvariant of it.

I can't see the humor of it really, because I have to work in these circumstances every day, I get to see the nasty things hysterical people can do to their animals...and deal with it.
So no, sorry, I am not laughing.

I don't think it is funny. I think it is rash and paranoid. Built purely on "ifs". Maybe I would feel differently were I a peacock. Too bad I'm human...

I see you live in new zealand, that's probably why you're making this into paranoid and rash, you have no threats there (yet).
But here we are in the middle of it, all countries surrounding mine have been infected with the birdflu in birds and in cats, those are facts, not fiction and not paranoia. It's only a matter of time before it spreads to here, that's why we HAVE to think about precautions and also about what if's around here. To ignore it would be plain stupid. Best to be prepaired for what hysterical people are going to do with their cats and how we can protect ourselves at the animalshelters against getting infected ourselves (people have already died from it, that's also a fact, not paranoia).

But I guess it's a luxury not to have to worry about these things.
Good for you.

I guess it is a luxury. I'm a bit anti Tamiflu is all and I'm sorry. Seeing people get rich from speculation pisses me off. I don't have anything against being safe. And where cats are infected, that is fine to keep them inside to warrant against infection.

We have threats - even big public posters at Pharmacies to encourage you to buy wipes etc. Who ever said that using wipes will save you? Yeah...some people will buy anything right?

Oseltamivir (also produced under the name Tamiflu or Relenza) is effective btw, they also used it here where there was a birdplague outbreak, people who worked with poultry etc had to take those as a precaution.
It's a neuraminidaseblocker, it does not cure you from the virus, but it will stop it from spreading in your body and do more harm; and it will make you less contagious.
So that it's not a cure is true, but it is a proven fact that it does help contain and lower risks of a pandemic.

Using wipes...seems nonsense to me...it mainly spreads through the air.
Only when you touch dead birds with your bare hands and then lick your hands...is there a risk (bodyfluids also spread the virus), but I guess no one does that for fun ;-)

Never underestamate the power of mother nature to get even with the humans for messing up the planet..

indeed ;-)

Bird Flu and ppl who train monkeys to help the disabled ....OH MAN THIS IS SO PLANET OF THE APES MAN ....Like soon there wont be any any , like COWs or cats an no birds man an then like the rats will kill all the DOGs and then like bam MAN all we'll have left are the monkeys man and then...Cause like all our food will kill us man it's going to be like SOYLENT GREEN and the PERFECT DAY MAN !!! Im outta here man place is buggin!!! ...MARS OR BUST ...

Maybe it's just a good time to go vegie...

Someone needs to lay off the spacecake

What's spacecake? can I have some?

hahaha
it's cakes with hasj in it
I don't think it's legal over there ;-)

that just makes them all the more tasty!

I bet!