A stray female domestic shorthair cat, approximately three years of age, presenting with biochemical and clinical evidence of liver dysfunction, was confirmed to be infected with domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH). Integration of molecular testing and antibody profiling suggested a chronic infection phase, as IgM anti-core antibodies—commonly linked to acute Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) cases—were undetectable. In contrast, IgG anti-core antibodies were identified, consistent with chronic HBV infections in humans. The absence of anti-DCH surface antibodies indicated no seroconversion or long-term immune protection. Genomic analysis demonstrated 98.3% sequence similarity to Italian DCH isolates.
