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Entry 521Filed under Breeding

Can Cats Catch Strep? How to Tell Human Strep From Feline Infection

Cats can briefly carry human group A strep, but feline streptococcal disease often involves different bacteria. Learn which signs warrant veterinary care and how diagnosis works.
3-minute read By Animalso Team
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Cats can briefly carry the bacteria that cause human strep throat after close contact with an infected person, but this appears uncommon and the risk of a cat passing group A strep back to a person is considered low. Cats can also become ill from other streptococcal bacteria; those infections are different from ordinary human strep throat. A cough or runny nose alone cannot tell you which organism, if any, is involved.

What “strep throat” means in cats

Human strep throat usually means infection with group A Streptococcus pyogenes. Humans are its principal natural hosts. The 2019 American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) Feline Zoonoses Guidelines says cats exposed to infected people may have transient, symptom-free colonization in the throat.

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Older reports may have overstated how often pets carry group A strep because they relied on antimicrobial susceptibility rather than genetic or Lancefield typing. In typed studies cited by the AAFP, prevalence among household pets was 0–3%. That is a finding from those studies, not a current population survey or an estimate of an individual cat’s risk. The AAFP considers transmission from pet cats to people low.

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Can cats get sick from other streptococci?

Yes. The streptococci that cause illness in cats are not necessarily the group A organism associated with human strep throat. The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) streptococcosis guidance identifies Streptococcus canis as the most prevalent streptococcal species reported in cats. Reported illnesses vary by affected site and can include upper respiratory disease, abscesses, pneumonia, bone or joint infection, urogenital infection, septicaemia, sinusitis, and meningitis.

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Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus

This is an emerging feline pathogen that can cause respiratory disease, bronchopneumonia or pneumonia, and meningoencephalitis. Severe cases may be fatal. Reported respiratory signs include purulent nasal discharge, cough, difficulty breathing, sinusitis, and pneumonia. These signs are not specific to this organism, and they do not establish that a cat has group A strep.

What signs should prompt a veterinary call?

Contact a veterinarian if your cat is unwell, especially with thick or pus-like nasal discharge, a persistent cough, or worsening respiratory symptoms. Difficulty breathing needs urgent veterinary attention. The signs associated with streptococcal disease overlap with those of other conditions, so appearance alone cannot identify the cause.

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How veterinarians diagnose and treat suspected infection

Testing depends on the illness

A veterinarian may use conventional culture or real-time PCR to look for streptococci. For respiratory disease, possible samples include nasal or pharyngeal swabs; the best sample depends on the affected body site and the cat’s clinical condition. The veterinarian decides whether testing is appropriate and interprets the result in context.

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Treatment is specific to the case

The ABCD guidance supports veterinarian-directed antibiotics for suspected streptococcal disease, with treatment adapted to culture and sensitivity results where appropriate. The organism identified, the body site involved, severity, and susceptibility results all matter. The guidance does not establish one drug, dose, or treatment duration for every cat. Do not give human antibiotics, leftover medication, or throat remedies without veterinary direction.

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Can cats pass strep to people?

For group A S. pyogenes, the AAFP describes possible temporary throat colonization in cats exposed to infected people, but considers pet-to-human transfer risk low. This finding should not be generalized to other streptococcal species, which can have different host and transmission patterns.

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Reducing spread and protecting cats

At home

Wash your hands after handling, feeding, or cleaning up after cats, and arrange routine veterinary care. The Cornell Feline Health Center and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend these as general hygiene and health measures. They are not a special household protocol for strep.

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In shelters and other group settings

Close confinement, including shelters and similar facilities, is a major risk factor for S. zooepidemicus. The ABCD guidance also notes horses as a possible source and advises considering indirect transmission. Where this infection is suspected, its measures include isolating sick cats, protective clothing for caretakers, and thorough cleaning and disinfection of hands, premises, and contaminated equipment. The guidance reports no S. zooepidemicus vaccine available for any species.

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