TWO cats tested positive for coronavirus in New York – making them the first pets to be infected in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the cats had mild respiratory illnesses and are expected to recover.

6 Cats are highly susceptible to the new coronavirus, according to a study Credit: Getty Images - Getty

6 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the coronavirus-infected cats had mild respiratory illnesses Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Officials believe the cats contracted the virus from people in their households or neighborhoods.

Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, a CDC official who works on human-animal health connections, told the Associated Press: “We don’t want people to panic. We don’t want people to be afraid of pets.

“There’s no evidence that pets are playing a role in spreading this disease to people.”

She urged people there is no need to rush to get their cats tested for the coronavirus, which has already infected more than 819,175 people across the United States.

At least 45,343 people in the US have died from the killer virus.

Both of the coronavirus-infected cats live in separate parts of New York state, but the CDC and United States Department of Agriculture didn't say where exactly.

6

The first cat became sick about a week after someone in its household had a short respiratory illness - which wasn't confirmed to be coronavirus, according to Barton Behravesh.

She said the animal sometimes goes outside and might have come in contact with an infected person nearby.

According to officials, the second cat became sick after its owner tested positive for coronavirus.

The CDC and the USDA urge pet owners with COVID-19 to avoid contact with their animals as much as possible.

They even recommend wearing a face covering while caring for them.

The CDC also advises pet owners to not let their animals interact with other people or animals outside the household, keep cats indoors, walk dogs on a leash, and avoid parks or public places where other pets gather.

6 The CDC and the USDA urge pet owners with COVID-19 to avoid contact with their animals as much as possible Credit: Getty Images - Getty

The report comes after a study, published on the website of the journal Science, found that cats and ferrets are highly susceptible to the new coronavirus.

It prompted the World Health Organization to say it will take a closer look at transmission of the virus between humans and pets.

However, researchers found that dogs, chickens, pigs and ducks are not likely to catch the virus.

The study was aimed at identifying which animals are vulnerable to the virus so they can be used to test experimental vaccines to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Pets should only get tested for coronavirus if they've been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or if the animal shows symptoms as other causes are ruled out, USDA's Dr. Jane Rooney said.

6 Two cats have tested positive for coronavirus in New York Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Earlier this month, a tiger at New York's Bronx Zoo tested positive for the COVID-19, in what is thought to be the world's first case of a big cat contracting the disease.

Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, tested positive for the virus, with the USDA saying it is the "first case of its kind."

"Our cats were infected by a person caring for them who was asymptomatically infected with the virus or before that person developed symptoms," zoo officials said.

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The tiger first began showing signs of sickness on March 27, while Nadia's sister Azul, two Amur tigers, and three African lions have also developed a dry cough, according to a spokesperson from the zoo.

They are "all expected to recover," said the spokesperson.

6 Nadia, a 4-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo, has tested positive for COVID-19 Credit: WCS

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