Rabies can occur in any mammal, including cats. The first symptoms usually appear up to two months after infection. Rabies in domestic cats is very dangerous, because we can get infected with it from our pet.

Rabies is an extremely dangerous disease - many animals die as a result of it every year, but science has allowed us to get to know the disease well and skillfully protect against it. What are the symptoms ofrabies in the cat ? How to treat it and can we get infected - if so, what then?

Cat rabies - what is this disease?

Rabies (in every animal) is caused by the RNA virus - Lyssavirus. It belongs to the group of Rhabdoviridae viruses, or Rabdoviruses. The virus spreads among wild animals, hundreds of thousands of which die each year because of this. It is mainly a disease of foxes, raccoon dogs, badgers and bats, but not only that - dogs and cats, including domestic ones, can become infected. Usually the disease spreads in large groups of animals, and domestic cats can become infected only through contact (fight, bite) with a sick individual.

Cat rabies - symptoms

Rabies is almost always the same. The only difference is the incubation process of the virus - in cats, the first symptoms may develop from two weeks to even several months after the infection. Most often, symptoms appear after two months. Much depends on where you come into contact with the virus - for example, a bite in the neck or head will significantly accelerate the development of the disease.

A cat becomes a virus carrier only 3 days before the first symptoms appear, only then is the virus present in the animal's saliva. Rabies in a cat can take the form of:

  • quiet (prodromal and paralysis phase),
  • violent (prodromal, furious and paralytic phase).

Rabies is an incurable disease, which causes paralysis of the muscles and death of the cat. The violent phase of rabies is always easier to recognize - the cat is aggressive, behaves strangely, differently than usual, often fails and meows. He develops drooling and hallucinations - he can even attack himself.

The quiet phase is calmer - the cat becomes lethargic, depressed and without appetite withcharacteristic drooling.

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Rabies stage (prodromal) - symptoms:

  • behavior change,
  • itching and pain in the area of ​​the wound through which the virus entered the body,
  • fever,
  • strange behavior, vocalizing,
  • digestive system problems.

Furious phase - symptoms:

  • aggression appears, also in relation to the caregiver,
  • cat doesn't recognize people, attacks them,
  • drooling,
  • coordination problems.

Paralysis phase - symptoms:

  • disturbance of consciousness,
  • pupils do not react to light, strabismus appears, pupils may be asymmetrical,
  • drooling becomes foam - foam rushes from the animal's mouth,
  • neck stiffness.

The cat may fall into a coma. Death occurs through suffocation - the respiratory muscles are paralyzed.

Cat rabies - treatment

Rabies is an incurable disease. There is no effective cure for it. The vet can only euthanize the cat.

Cat rabies - vaccination

The vaccine is the only way to avoid infection with the virus that causes rabies. The price of the vaccine is small - about PLN 30-50 for a cat, you can vaccinate a kitten after 12 weeks of age. Vaccination should be repeated, it can be done every 2-3 years. Outgoing cats should be vaccinated - domestic cats that live in a block of flats and have no chance of contact with another cat may remain unvaccinated.

Cat rabies and caregiver he alth

If your pet is diagnosed with rabies, ask your doctor what to do. If a person has not been attacked, injured, there is usually no need for medical intervention. Contact of the virus with undamaged skin is not dangerous. On the other hand, a bite is an indication for quick contact with a doctor. What should worry us after being bitten?

  • burning and numbness around the bite site,
  • fever,
  • hydrophobia or photophobia,
  • headaches,
  • nausea and vomiting.

Rabies remains a disease that is almost always fatal, but it can almost always be avoided thanks to the use of appropriate pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis. For post-exposure prophylaxis, it is recommended to properly clean the wound as well as administer immunoglobulin before the first symptoms appear.

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Pets