Research overview: serosurveys of domestic and free-roaming cats during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers surveyed domestic and free-roaming cats for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies to gauge how often the virus moved from people into felines. This overview synthesizes serosurvey findings showing measurable exposure, especially among cats living with infected owners, and generally limited evidence of onward spread to humans. It examines sampling challenges, cross-reactivity with endemic feline coronaviruses, and the implications for cats as incidental hosts versus a meaningful reservoir. The synthesis connects pet and community cat exposure to broader questions about spillover, spillback and the unlikely but monitored possibility of new variants emerging in animal hosts. It aims to give readers a measured account of what surveillance revealed about cats’ role in the pandemic without overstating their epidemiological importance.