Question for Feral Cat Handlers

Just want to know if those of you handling and caring for ferals, have been vaccinated against rabies and other similar animal transmitted diseases? Are these vaccinations required before starting a TNR program?
Thank you.

Good you do remind. Yes, it would be wise... Rabies, Tetanus, as the two most important, as there will be scratches of all sorts and most probably even bites too, some of them deep.

I have not had any shots. Did I understand correctly, you are asking if the handlers have had shots, or if the cats have had shots. Sorry I only had one cup of coffee today.

question must have been if the helpers working with ferals - have all the shots one should have.

I keep my tetanus shot up to date for a variety of reasons but never thought about it as it related to cats. For rabies, I check with my vet on a regular basis about the occurance of rabies in the area - none has been reported in 10 years, so I don't worry about it.

I guess I'm living on the edge because I have not been vaccinated against rabies, tetanus, etc. I don't exactly try & pick-up the ferals I deal with unless they are young...but then again there is always the chance of getting bit or scratched.

Thank you for your replies. I guess the tetanus shots are the most important.

I have been vaccinated against rabies, though for my feral cat work it is really an abundance of caution. It is more necessary for my work at an emergency vet hospital since we see almost every imaginable kind of animal and sometimes we do handle rabies suspects. Even then, though, the risk is pretty minimal.

It has been 35 or so years since anyone in the US has died from rabies acquired from a cat so the odds are definitely on your side!

My tetanus shot is also UTD and I probably will get it updated according to the standard schedule when it "expires" next year.

From a practical standpoint, if you have medical insurance it should cover a tetanus booster every 10 years. For pre-exposure rabies vaccine, though, you are on your own, and it is not cheap. The series of 3 shots costs over $500.

Originally Posted by StefanZ

Good you do remind. Yes, it would be wise... Rabies, Tetanus, as the two most important, as there will be scratches of all sorts and most probably even bites too, some of them deep.

Click to expand...

Well, in fairness I have actually never been bitten or scratched in the course of TNR. I have had only two severe bites, both from feral kittens and both caused, quite frankly, by my own foolishness. In general, TNR should always be carried out so that the risk of bites and scratches is reduced to virtually zero. Beyond the risk to yourself, the law in most states is that if an unvaccinated animal bites you, the animal must either be quarantined for 6 months or killed and tested for rabies - both of which are very bad things! It's an extremely overly cautious law and I admit that if I were scratched or bitten I would ignore that law, but it exists and technically it has to be followed.

Rule number one is that you never, ever touch a conscious feral cat unless it is a very serious situation. Even then, good and confident handling skills will prevent almost all injuries.

Originally Posted by semiferal

Well, in fairness I have actually never been bitten or scratched in the course of TNR. I have had only two severe bites, both from feral kittens and both caused, quite frankly, by my own foolishness..

Click to expand...

Good to hear this testimony. Hurra for the ferals!

I was bitten once - by... our own very kind and friendly Vagis.
And yes, there were scratches caused by our own kind Muskis who would never hurt anybody - althought he CAN hiss terribly at cats trespassing our garden. (they dont do it anymore! )

So I thought, if even Vagis and Muskis can cause bites and scratches, you must secure yourself against bites and scratches by ferals.

If for no other reason so to dare to handle with them. My theory being more people would like to help them but dont dare, them being afraid of contagion. But if those candidat-helpers are fullvaccinated and so on, so they would dare more - and therefore more ferals would be helped.

Good to hear your witnessing Semiferal, if you are careful and know how to, there is practically no danger in handling even ferals.

My understanding of the Rabies vaccine humans get prior to getting bit, is that it is more of a Pre rabies vaccine and other boosters would be needed anyway afterwards if bitten by a rabid cat.

The goal it to NOT GET BIT! Period! I have never been bit and have trapped more cats than I can count. Those in the vet office who are in the position of having to sedate the conscious feral cat are in more of a situation to get bit than the colony caretakers and trappers.

When I am holding a cat prior to and after surgery I use a big dog cage with a cat carrier in one corner (which also helps wedge the litter box in tighter so the cat doesnt turn it) and use plastic ties to hold the door open so it doesnt go closed on the cat while it is out of the carrier. I have only ever had one cat that didnt go in the carrier to hide . What I do is snip the tie from the outside and use a long stick of some sort to reach through the cage and push the door closed. While still holding it closed with the stick, I reach in and lock the carrier and the cat inside. That is how I take it to the vet and how I do cage maintenance without taking any chance of getting bit.

When transfering cats from the trap to the cage I have found that most all run directly to the back of the cage as soon as the trap is opened but I always make sure there is another person with me. One holds the trap up with the opening inside the cage and another has a blanket of piece of cardboard (just in case the cat doesnt run to the back of the cage) and handles closing the door.

Originally Posted by StefanZ

Good to hear your witnessing Semiferal, if you are careful and know how to, there is practically no danger in handling even ferals.

Click to expand...

Well, this is well and good except for one thing: I don't actually touch feral cats unless they are anesthetized and unconscious. The only exception is in a significant medical situation, which is rare. In these cases, I rely on well developed handling skills to keep myself safe.

Routine handling protocol for feral cats states that a conscious feral cat should never be handled. The cat remains in the trap at all times unless under general anesthesia. While feral cats are not vicious, they are frightened of human contact and will defend against your attempts to handle them as if they are fighting for their lives.

Working with feral cats is extremely safe, but only if established safety rules are strictly followed.

i havent been handling ferals very long but as a tetanus booster is due only every 10 yrs,i just have to remember when my last one was
luckily for our ferals in u.k we are rabies free,although there are some thick people in the u.k that think all our wildlife has rabies
and as i'm not aware of any cat virus or disease that can be transmitted to humans (correct me if i'm wrong)i don't think there would be a human fiv fhv jab
i think the only danger is protecting your eyes from their claws,after all they can't half jump!!!