Rabies risk

[weakoctober]

Forgive me if this is the wrong forum to post in.

So for context, I have a lot of health anxiety, as will probably be evident. If you read my last post, you will know I have recently come into the care of yet another stray kitten found within a car engine (she’s doing alright, by the way! Just some roundworm and a URI but is on medication. ) I know this may be a tad unreasonable, but is there any reason to be concerned with rabies? My vet is curbside only at the moment so talking with them is fairly brief but they said that I needn’t worry as the kitten didn’t show any neurological symptoms but alas, here I am. She scratches and nibbles playfully though nothing that breaks the skin and I have quarantined her to the bathroom and I change clothes and wash my skin like a madman after handling, but I still worry about the risk. Does anyone else share these worries when it comes to stray kittens and if so, how do you deal with them?

(Also, off topic, but this medicated eye gel might be the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire life!)

 

[StefanZ]

There is no practical danger, unless there are some sort of symptoms or untypical behavior.

BUT if you do worry and are afraid, do take these rabies shots. Not because they are necessary here, but to calm your fears... Also, if you often help with rescuing of semiferales, there IS a theorethical danger. Not big in USA, but in some countries people do die of rabies. Totally even in thousands (even if cats arent the common cause for the bite).

 

[weakoctober]

Thank you for the reassurance. Normally I take my anxieties to my vet but with covid and all... I’m sure she’s happy for the break! lol

 

[Willowy]

Are you in the US? If so, the risk is extremely small.

Plus, you really only have to worry if you're bitten by a stray animal that runs away so you can't see if they live or die. Rabies is a very self-limiting disease---they've proven that a rabid animal only sheds the virus in their saliva for 10 days before dying. So if she's still alive in 10 days, you're good. If she dies in the next 10 days, you should probably have the body tested. (And obviously get the post-exposure rabies vaccine if it comes out positive!)

 

[Whenallhellbreakslose]

Forgive me if this is the wrong forum to post in.

So for context, I have a lot of health anxiety, as will probably be evident. If you read my last post, you will know I have recently come into the care of yet another stray kitten found within a car engine (she’s doing alright, by the way! Just some roundworm and a URI but is on medication. ) I know this may be a tad unreasonable, but is there any reason to be concerned with rabies? My vet is curbside only at the moment so talking with them is fairly brief but they said that I needn’t worry as the kitten didn’t show any neurological symptoms but alas, here I am. She scratches and nibbles playfully though nothing that breaks the skin and I have quarantined her to the bathroom and I change clothes and wash my skin like a madman after handling, but I still worry about the risk. Does anyone else share these worries when it comes to stray kittens and if so, how do you deal with them?

(Also, off topic, but this medicated eye gel might be the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire life!)

I have fed outdoor cats for awhile and never have I seen a rabies case. As others have mentioned, in the U.S. it is a low risk. In relation to US population which is just over 330 million, there are only just a small handful of cases each year. Rabies is on the decrease in cats and it is deemed rare for cats to get rabies. According to Ally Cat Allies, there hasn't been a cat to human transmission in 40 years. If you live in a country like India, than yes the chances of getting rabies is much higher. In the US, rabies is mostly found in bats, raccoon, skunks and foxes. The only animals where ot is extremly rare to get it is in Opossums (they normally don't have the internal tempature to incubate the rabies virus) and squirrels (just a few cases in many years.)

Now the best thing you can do to get your outdoor kitties TNRed (Trap, Neuter, and Released). TNR entails desexing cats and giving them their core shots, including rabies. It is a community service and it keeps the cats healthy. What is more of a threat to cats are Upper Respitory viruses, Feline Distemper, and Feline Aids and Leukemia. These diseases could shorten the life of your kitties and spread to other kitties. This is what every cat feeder should be concerned about.

Well I hope this help calm your fears about Rabies. Have a good day.

 

[fionasmom]

I agree that the chances are very low. I have rescued lots of animals, dogs and cats, and never thought about contracting rabies from an animal who appeared not to have any symptoms. As was stated, in the USA the vectors are very specific and contained. In this area, it is bats in the foothills. Once in a while a dog runs out in the backyard and picks up a rabid bat but since dogs have to have a rabies vaccine there is no negative consequence. I have never personally seen a rabid animal, and that includes the coyotes who freely roam the area and AC has never announced that one of them had rabies.

 

[weakoctober]

Thank you all so much! This definitely makes me feel better.

I have fed outdoor cats for awhile and never have I seen a rabies case. As others have mentioned, in the U.S. it is a low risk. In relation to US population which is just over 330 million, there are only just a small handful of cases each year. Rabies is on the decrease in cats and it is deemed rare for cats to get rabies. According to Ally Cat Allies, there hasn't been a cat to human transmission in 40 years. If you live in a country like India, than yes the chances of getting rabies is much higher. In the US, rabies is mostly found in bats, raccoon, skunks and foxes. The only animals where ot is extremly rare to get it is in Opossums (they normally don't have the internal tempature to incubate the rabies virus) and squirrels (just a few cases in many years.)

Now the best thing you can do to get your outdoor kitties TNRed (Trap, Neuter, and Released). TNR entails desexing cats and giving them their core shots, including rabies. It is a community service and it keeps the cats healthy. What is more of a threat to cats are Upper Respitory viruses, Feline Distemper, and Feline Aids and Leukemia. These diseases could shorten the life of your kitties and spread to other kitties. This is what every cat feeder should be concerned about.

Well I hope this help calm your fears about Rabies. Have a good day.

Our new kitty does appear to have a URI which we are treating with antibiotics and lots of love (and a lot of worry on my part lol!) Here’s hoping to a happy and healthy kitty soon! Thanks again for all your help, guys. It is much appreciated.

 

[Bobsk8]

In most places in the US if not all, Rabies shots are the law.

 

[di and bob]

I have been deeply bit by feral kittens quite often and have never gotten sick. The chances are almost nonexistent that a kitten will have rabies, especially this time of the year. the most worrisome are the ones that you never see again. after 10 days you should be fine if the kitten still is.
EWye salve should NOT be heartbreaking! You don't apply it to the eyeball it'self, which can result in injury. you pull down gently on the lower eyelid until it forms a 'pouch' and apply a thin ribbon in that pouch, blinking will distribute the salve/gel. cats usually get used to you messing with their eyes. especially if you gently wipe them several times a day with a warm, wet rag.

 

[moxiewild]

Is it possible? Sure.

Is it likely? Overwhelming not.

Rabies is transmitted primarily through bite wounds. If you or the vet didn’t notice anything indicating an attack, then chances are even more slim, particularly given the fact that wounds would have only had 6 weeks or less to heal!

Animals this small rarely transmit rabies. For instance, I work with wildlife. We’ve never had a call about a rabid squirrel, chipmunk, rat, rabbit, etc.

Now consider how often you have heard reports of small animals like this having rabies. I would be floored if your answer isn’t “never.”

All mammals can technically carry and transmit rabies, so why aren’t there many reports on these small mammals having rabies?

The answer - they don’t survive the transmission event, i.e. the attack.

Raccoons,, foxes, skunks, coyotes - these are all high rabies vector species, and they’re all bigger animals. They can withstand a lot more than a squirrel or a young kitten.

And for a young kitten in particular, it’s not just their size that works against them, but also the fact that they’re not quite coordinated enough or fast enough, and they haven’t quite learned how to evade or escape predators. An adult squirrel would therefore have a much better chance at surviving an attack than a young kitten would.

However, there has never been a single report of rabies transmission to a human from any of those small species I mentioned. There hasn’t even been a case of an adult cat transmitting rabies to a human in the US in 40 years!

(Bats are a notable exception. However, this is likely due to several reasons that are mostly unique and specific to this species).

It is technically possible to contract rabies via other means, like a scratch, grooming, sharing water, or from the virus being passed on by Mom. But these are so rare, that data don’t even exist for them.

So try not to worry about it. Wear gloves if it makes you feel more at ease, cover any broken skin with bandaids.

If after 10 days there are no symptoms, then you can be confident that you are in the clear!