Bird flu fears and new rules rattle German pet lovers

SINGEN: Hannelore Kirchenmaier burst into the animal shelter on Thursday, desperate for advice after a chain of events turned the town’s household pets into objects of angst.

First, a stray cat died of bird flu on the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. Before long German authorities decreed that all cats had to be kept indoors in areas where infected wild birds had been found, including Singen. They also said dogs should stay on leashes when outside.

So there are now millions of pet owners in Germany trying to contend with their beloved four-legged bundles of trouble.

“What are we supposed to do?” asked Kirchenmaier. She takes care of a friend’s dog that has befriended a wild cat. Should she keep the dog away from the cat? And how could she keep the cat away from birds?

Bird flu’s rapid march from Asia to Europe and Africa has created anxiety and economic disruption; the poultry industry is disabled in much of Europe.

Meanwhile, only the one cat is known to have died of the virus in Europe, far from this town of 44,000, which lies near sprawling Lake Constance, a stone’s throw from Switzerland.

But when a dead duck found in Singen was confirmed to have the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu last week, the town became a hotbed of dread. It is facing a challenge to its social rhythms, if not its health.

Cats can become infected with H5N1 by eating infected birds but it is very rare. And medical authorities say there is barely any chance of a cat passing the disease to humans.

Such reassurance in Singen came from the head of the animal shelter’s board, Marion Csajor, whose precise directions calmed Kirchenmaier.