Why don't cats get chickenpox? - briefly
Cats do not get chickenpox because the varicella-zoster virus, which causes the disease, is highly species-specific and only infects humans.
Why don't cats get chickenpox? - in detail
Cats do not contract chickenpox because the virus responsible for this disease, known as Varicella zoster virus (VZV), is highly species-specific. This means that VZV has evolved to infect humans and does not possess the necessary mechanisms to infect cats or other animals. The virus relies on specific cellular receptors and molecular pathways present in human cells to replicate and cause infection. Cats lack these specific receptors, making them resistant to the virus. Additionally, the immune systems of cats are adapted to combat pathogens that are relevant to their species, further reducing the likelihood of cross-species infection. While cats can suffer from other viral infections, such as feline herpesvirus or feline calicivirus, these are entirely distinct from chickenpox and are caused by viruses that have evolved to target feline biology. The concept of species-specificity in viruses is a fundamental aspect of virology, explaining why certain diseases remain confined to particular hosts. This biological barrier ensures that cats are naturally protected from human-specific viruses like VZV, just as humans are generally immune to many feline-specific pathogens.