Shelves are being cleaned out, face masks and hand sanitisers are sold out everywhere; so yeah, the fear is real.

So real, in fact, some people are taking preventive measures to protect their beloved pets.

Home-made face masks

Several photos showing a cat (hilariously?) wearing a home-made mask with cut-out eye holes have gone massively viral on social media

According to a report by Daily Star, the photos were taken in China, but no mention on precisely when the photos were taken.

In one photo, the black-and-white cat was seen peering out anxiously from two little holes in the mask.

In another photo, the cat can be seen being walked by its owner with a blue full-sized surgical mask covering its face.

Maybe the kitty is out to fight crime?

The photos quickly went viral on Chinese social media site Sina Weibo.

Interestingly, several other Chinese netizens also chipped in, sharing photos of their pets wearing protective masks or a full home-made suit, like this one:

Overly cautious?

Before you say that the owners are being too extra, your kitty apparently can catch the same virus as you.

According to the Ontario Veterinary College, cats can apparently catch the same viruses as humans, especially the H1N1 virus, (also known as the swine flu).

Interestingly, dogs can't catch the same viruses that we do, because they are good bois.