My finches are sick and dying. Is it contagious to my cats or me?

Birds can carry disease that is transmissible to humans, such as psittacosis. Since you have multiple birds and people in your household that are ill, I would recommend scheduling a vet visit for your remaining birds and a doctor's visit for any medical issues your human family is experiencing.

Thanks for your question. Fortunately, there are very few diseases that would be likely to go from a sparrow to you or Cleo. These diseases typically require a large amount of close contact and many of them are pathogens that you and your cat would come in contact with on a regular basis. Unless the bird produced droppings (urates/feces) while flying in your house, you will not need to disinfectant anything. If you wanted to clean the items that the bird came into contact with, that would not be a problem either, if it makes you feel more comfortable. I hope that helps to answer your question, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My condolences on the loss of your bird. If you have concerns regarding Psittacosis, you can submit the body for PCR testing. Your other bird can be tested if necessary. An exam with your veterinarian or an experienced avian veterinarian would be recommended anyway since birds are quite adept at concealing illness or injury until they are in serious condition.

If your entire flock is experiencing illness and then death, it would be best to seek veterinary care in person ASAP to try and find the underlying cause and provide treatment. It would be best to remove any sick or sick looking birds from the flock and move them to isolated hospital cages to avoid spreading illness or disease among the remaining healthy birds and losing the rest of the flock. Once the underlying cause is found, you can then take measures to both treat and preventively avoid further illness.

Thanks for reaching out about this. Are we talking about chickens. No sure what diseases are prevalent in Africa but if multiple bird dying simultaneously, concerns would be around a viral etiology. Many countries have national veterinary diagnostic laboratories that might help with a diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is concluded, a treatment plan can be implemented. Isolation and quarantining any sick animals is important to decrease cross contamination. Good luck.

I'm sorry for your loss. It's impossible to know what she dies from based on these symptoms, the only way to know the cause of death is to send her body to the lab for histopathology analysis (through your vet), they will usually be able to tell you what the cause of death was.

Thanks for reaching out about your finch and including photos. A veterinary visit is recommended but understand if one is not available, but only limited things can be done at home. Weakness can have multiple causes, with infections being only one possibility. Provide heat support in the 80-85 F range can give some support. Finches eat primarily seed but also need a vitamin/mineral/protein support in the form of a wide variety of vegetables. Provide a soft bedding/towels on the bottom of the cage to protect if falls. Good luck.