Rabies And Your Indoor Cat
The above is something that veterinarians hear on a daily basis, usually multiple times in a day. But it’s important for your feline friend to get their rabies vaccine, just like dogs. They may not go on walks or to daycare but even they can be exposed to rabies.
To understand why rabies is such an important disease to vaccinate for, we have to delve into what rabies is and how it is transmitted.
Rabies is a virus that spreads by animal bites or saliva. It is a disease that has no reliable cure – only three people in the United States have survived rabies. Ever. No animal, companion or wild, survives.
The rabies virus uses our bodies against us to infect the brain. It uses the nerves closest to the bite to start its travel up the spine and eventually to the brain. It can take weeks, months, or even years to show symptoms of rabies after a bite. It all depends on where the bite was. The virus travels less than 1/2 of an inch a day. And there will be no symptoms. The bite will heal, everything will look lovely.
Until it doesn’t.
There is no cure for rabies. For anyone, or anything.
Santa Clarita has the highest concentration of rabid bats in the Southern California area, year after year. Bats are tricky little things. They can come down an open flue or get in through an open door. Our cats are designed to chase and hunt small mammals – exactly what a bat is. Bat bites heal quickly and a wound may not be noticed.
While next month will have a discussion of quarantine requirements and vaccine types, the following is probably the most important thing to remember:
If your animal is found with a bat, regardless of vaccination status, do not throw the bat away or release it! The bat is very important – it must be tested to determine if there was a risk of rabies exposure. Call an Animal Control Officer to come get the bat. Do not transport the bat to a veterinary office or anywhere else.
To schedule an appointment, please call The Cat Doctor & Friends at 661-259-5288.
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