Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been proven that cats and dogs can transmit the virus, and cats can spread it to other cats. Scientists are debating whether or not it would be viable to vaccinate pets against the virus. Aside from house pets, both wild and zoo animals have also been reported as contracting the virus. "Minks at hundreds of farms around the globe have suffered outbreaks, leading to massive culling, and in some cases, human infections," according to Science Mag.
While the successful human vaccine is underway, and though it won't be for a little while until everyone has gotten one, the likelihood of pets getting one is still up for debate. Are they necessary? How long will that testing process take? Apparently, there doesn't need to be a rush to vaccinate your pet.
“Cats and dogs don’t play an important role in the maintenance or transmission of the disease to humans,” says William Karesh, executive vice president for health and policy at EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit that tracks emerging animal diseases. "There’s no need for a vaccine from a public health standpoint.” You can rest easy knowing that, even though COVID-19 transmission is possible through pets, the likelihood that your pet is at risk is slim.