Anthropogenic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to pet cats highlights the importance of monitoring felids for exposure to circulating variants. We tested cats in the United Kingdom for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; seroprevalence peaked during September 2021-February 2022. The variant-specific response in cats trailed circulating variants in humans, indicating multiple human-to-cat transmissions over a prolonged period.
Keywords: COVID-19; ELISA; One Health; SARS-CoV-2; United Kingdom; anthropozoonoses; cats; humoral immunity; pseudotype virus neutralization assay; respiratory infections; seroprevalence; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.