A cat belonging to a family in the Spanish region of Catalonia tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the professor who conducted an autopsy on the pet said, according to Reuters.

"It did not die from the virus, however, but from a pre-existing respitory condition fairly common among cats," said Professor Joaquim Segales of Catalonia's Animal Health Research Centre.

The cat, named Negrito, was the sixth feline to be detected with the disease globally.