MichiganRadio

Is Your Cat At Risk Of Catching the Swine Flu? ANN ARBOR, MI (Michigan Radio) -

Michigan cat owners should not be overly concerned about a confirmed case of Swine Flu in a cat in Iowa.

The 13 year old cat developed respiratory problems soon after its owner was diagnosed with H1N1. Both have since recovered.

While it is uncommon for viruses to jump species, a spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association says this is a new virus and scientists do not know how it's going to behave.

Paula Rode is the president of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association. While she donplays to potential threat of swine flu to households pets, she urges caution.

"It's not the time of year we see a lot of respiratory infections in cats," says Rode, "That may be good, because that means, that if we do see some in households that have infected families that may raise our index of suspicion a little bit."

The Swine Flu may be a threat to a more exotic household pet, ferrets.

Ferrets have long been known to be susceptible to influenza viruses. A pet ferret in Oregon which contracted swine flu, died earlier this fall. © Copyright 2012, Michigan Radio