Pet hospital warns owners to keep cats indoors as H5N1 risk spreads in Australia

Lort Smith Animal Hospital is urging pet owners to keep cats indoors and dogs on leashes after H5N1 was detected in wild seabirds in Western Australia.

The warning comes as authorities continue to monitor the mainland arrival of the virus, which was first confirmed in a brown skua found sick near Cape Le Grand National Park in southern Western Australia. Coverage has also reported a second seabird, described as a giant petrel, in the same area, although its final laboratory status has been reported differently in separate accounts.

What the hospital is advising

Lort Smith said the aim is to reduce the chance of pets encountering infected wildlife in bushland, waterways, coastal regions and other places where sick or dead birds may be present.

The hospital said cats are a particular concern because they can roam outdoors and hunt birds. It advised owners to keep cats inside where possible and to keep dogs on leashes in wildlife areas.

The hospital also said bird flu infections in dogs and cats are rare, but severe respiratory illness in a cat can be a medical emergency.

Why the warning matters

The detections in Western Australia have heightened concern because H5N1 has caused major die-offs in birds and some mammals overseas since 2021.

Australia had been described in reporting as the last continent to record H5N1 before this mainland detection, making the finding significant for wildlife surveillance and biosecurity planning.

Officials have said there is no evidence at this stage that the virus has spread to poultry or caused wider mortality in domestic animals. Even so, poultry farms in Western Australia have been locked down as a precaution while testing and surveillance continue.

How the detections unfolded

The first mainland case was identified in a brown skua near Cape Le Grand National Park, after the bird was found sick in southern Western Australia.

A second seabird, reported as a giant petrel, was then added to the surveillance picture. Different coverage has described that bird as either testing positive or still awaiting final confirmation, so its status remains a point to watch.

Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins and Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson have been part of the official response, alongside the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, which is handling laboratory confirmation work.

What officials want people to do

Public guidance remains unchanged: do not touch sick or dead birds, and report sightings to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline or birdflu.gov.au.

That advice is especially relevant around coastal habitats and wildlife areas, where seabirds are more likely to be encountered and where pets may come into contact with contaminated material or infected carcasses.

The current concern is not limited to one species. Authorities and veterinarians are watching for any sign that H5N1 is moving beyond the initial seabird detections and into broader wildlife populations.

For now, the immediate message from animal health groups is simple: keep cats indoors where possible, leash dogs near wildlife, and avoid contact with sick or dead birds while the outbreak picture develops.