Symptoms of Cat Rabies.
Rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal.
The infection is spread by an infected animal biting an uninfected one.
In the US, the most frequent carriers of rabies are: Foxes, skunks, and raccoons.
Rodents do not carry rabies, very few cases have ever been reported. Rats, mice, squirrels, possums and rabbits are not at risk of acquiring the disease, and thus, not being part of it’s spread.
Cats most frequently get rabies by being bitten by an infected skunk, fox or raccoon.
Humans, cats and dogs are not as susceptible to the diease as some other animals such as raccoons, it is estimated that only about 15% of cats bitten by an infected animal will actually get the disease.
Symptoms of rabies.
The symptoms go through different stages.
In the first stage the "Prodromal stage" the animal may become
apprehensive, nervous, anxious and requiring solitude. A fever may be noted.
The animals personality may undergo a shift where friendly cats and dogs become hostile and aggressive and where previously hostile and aggressive animals are now friendly and affectionate.
Most cats will constantly lick the site of the bite. In cats, the prodromal phase lasts for only 1-2 days and they usually develop more fever spikes and erratic behavior than dogs.
Furious phase
From the prodromal phase, animals may enter the furious stage; cats are especially prone to developing this phase. Cats become restless and irritable and are hyper responsive to sight and sounds. As they become more restless, they begin to roam and become more irritable and vicious. When caged, dogs may bite and attack their enclosures. Cats progress to become disoriented and then have seizures and eventually die.
Paralytic (dumb) phase
Cats may enter the paralytic stage after the prodormal stage, without going through the furious phase. Ususally the paralytic stage develops within 2-4 days after the onset of the first symptoms.
Nerves affecting the head and throat are the first to be involved and animals may begin to salivate and drool as a result of their inability to swallow.
Deep labored breathing and a jaw that is dropping may result as the diaphragm and face muscles become increasingly paralyzed as the virus spreads.
Animals may make a choking sound and many owners think that there is something lodged in the cat’s throat. The animal will get weaker and eventually go into respiratory failure and die.
Many cats present with a combination of the above symptoms and phases.
If an animal bites a human, the animal will be either quarantined or observed for a period of at least ten days to ensure that it does not have rabies. Frequently the animal can be quarantined in your home. Check your local governmental laws. Be prepared that neither local veterinarians nor local animal control staff may know the correct legal proceedings.
People who have been exposed to a rabid animal can be given a five shot Rabies immunoglobulin series to prevent infection.
Symptoms of Cat Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that is almost always fatal.
The latest rabies statistics, compiled by the Centers for Disease Control in 1998, show that 49 states (Hawaii is a rabies-free area), the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported a total of 7,961 cases of rabies in non-human animals and one in a human.
More than 93% of these cases were in wildlife. Cats made up 3.5% of these cases.
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