‘I’m absolutely heartbroken’: Gemma Collins claims her beloved 25-year-old cat Twinkle died from coronavirus
Gemma Collins believes her beloved rescue cat Twinkle died from coronavirus.
The former TOWIE star, 39, opened up about her cat’s last moments and said she was put on a ventilator by a vet before she dying later that same day.
Gemma’s claims come after a new report from University College London which discussed fears that cats could cause a second wave of Covid-19.
Opening up: Gemma Collins has revealed she believes her beloved rescue cat Twinkle died from coronavirus
The TV personality’s cat Twinkle died last month at 25 years old.
She announced the furry friend’s death in an Instagram post which she captioned: ‘I rescued her 22 years ago she passed last night.
‘I’m absolutely [heart] broken. I love you Twinkle.’
She told The Sun: ‘I was so upset about it – I think she had Corona. She’d never had breathing problems, and it was just so weird how she died.
Devastated: The former TOWIE star, 39, opened up about her cat’s last moments and said she was put on a ventilator by a vet before she dying later that same day
‘I took her to the vet and it was so awkward because of Corona, I had to leave her on the boot of my car in a box and I just said to the vet please keep her alive.
‘And then he called me two hours later and said he’d put her on a ventilator and she’s died.’
Gemma then revealed that she was so upset that she couldn’t speak for two days.
She also added that she feels because she and Twinkle had a bond and will be reunited in heaven.
The British Veterinary Association website crashed two months ago after it seemed to suggest that all of the 10.9million cats in the UK should have a curfew throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
It was then revealed that only cat owners who had to self-isolate should keep pets indoors because a study found that cats can spread the virus.
So sad: Sharing an image of her feline friend, Gemma wrote: ‘I rescued her 22 years ago, she passed last night. ‘I’m absolutely [heart]broken. I love you Twinkle’
The Blue Cross website states: ‘There is no current evidence that cats, or other pets, in the UK have been infected with the new coronavirus, and there is nothing to suggest that cats can transmit Covid-19 to people.
‘It is always a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after stroking your pets for protection against viruses, and bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella.
‘Government guidelines advise cat owners to wash their hands before and after touching their cats.’
However, 10,000 farmed minks were killed in the Netherlands after they were suspected of transmitting the virus to at least two humans.
In an article for The Lancet Microbe, experts from University College London said there was ‘increasing evidence’ that some animals can pass Covid-19 on to humans.
Upsetting news: She then shared clips of her stroking her pet as she reminisced over the good times they had together