Rabies in Ferals?

random

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Hi all.

I was recently bitten by one of my strays. I was petting her (she's fairly friendly) when someone came around the back of my apartment; she spooked, bit me, and ran off.

I have not caught them yet to be TNRed, so I was wondering if I should worry about rabies? She has behaved exactly as always, so I have never suspected anything of the sort. I am 26, so my tetanus is still reasonably up-to-date.

Should I have a round of rabies shots done? I doubt I'll be able to catch her within a few days to be quarantined. She's still acting normally...
 

opilot

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I live in the No. Va area near DC.
While rabies is a always a concern, it is unlikely you will catch
or that she has it.

However that said - if you are working w/ ferals - probably NOT
a bad idea. I would if it were me, get them done to be on safe side.

Painful, but needful. And look at it this way - if you continue rescuing
cats - you won't need to worry in the future about rabies, but about
being "clawed" to death, LOL!!
 

valanhb

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Rabies is rare in the States to begin with, and almost unheard of in the cat populations (regardless of what the anti-feral and anti-cat groups want you to believe). That said, cat bites can be very serious business! Keep a close eye on the bite wound, and if it starts getting infected go to a doctor immediately! While rabies would be the least of your worries, that doesn't mean that it can't get to be a real medical issue in a hurry.
 
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random

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Thank you both for the reassurance. I figured I would have seen some kind of symptoms (aggression/malaise) if she were infected. The bite wound on my finger is already closing up and I will apply a little antibiotic ointment to stave off any other nasties that crop up.

I may go in for a tetanus booster at any rate. They're not very expensive as far as I know.
 

hissy

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You should keep your tetanus up though
 
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