# Can my cats catch my conjunctivitis?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-cats-catch-my-conjunctivitis/53147>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 5, 2001, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-cats-catch-my-conjunctivitis/53147 "2001-02-05T02:08:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-cats-catch-my-conjunctivitis/53147/1 "2001-02-05T02:08:47Z")

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Friday I learned I have bacterial conjunctivitis in the right eye. The doc told me it’s highly contagious and told me not to go back to work that afternoon, and prescribed antibiotic drops. It didn’t occur to me at the time to ask if my cats can get it. (And, yes, I’ve been following the doc’s instructions re washing hands, changing pillow cases, etc.) Right eye is clearing up, but today I have the same symptoms in the left eye. I haven’t let the cats get near my face, but wonder if I even need to worry about them getting it.

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**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-cats-catch-my-conjunctivitis/53147/2 "2001-02-07T01:36:33Z")

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I did a search on Google for “feline conjunctivitis” and this was the second hit:

[http://www.eyeclinicforanimals.com/cat2.html](http://www.eyeclinicforanimals.com/cat2.html)

Here is a quote from that site:

> [@](#):
>
> A number of infectious agents have been identified as the cause of conjunctivitis and keratitis including virus and bacteria. The infections may be contacted from other cats but not to or from other species (e.g.: not from dogs or people).