WASHINGTON, Nov 4 (AFP) - A cat treated by an Iowa State University veterinarian was diagnosed with swine flu, a state health official said Wednesday.

The 13-year-old indoor cat was treated at the university's College of Veterinary Medicine, the Iowa Department of Public Health said in a statement.

"Two of the three members of the family that owns the pet had suffered from influenza-like illness before the cat became ill," Iowa Public Health Veterinarian Ann Garvey said in a statement.

"This is not completely unexpected, as other strains of influenza have been found in cats in the past," she said.

Both the cat and its owners have since recovered, Garvey said.

The Health Department said that people who contract the A(H1N1) virus can spread it to both humans and some animals.