Treatment for Rabies in Felines

Rabies vaccination is recommended for all pet cats and in some areas, owners are required by law to have their cat vaccinated. The reason why rabies vaccinations are important for cats, especially those that go outdoors, is the treatment for rabies in felines is limited to those that have been vaccinated.

  1. Rabies

    • Rabies is a viral infection found in almost all warm-blooded animals, including cats, dogs and human beings. It affects the spinal cord of an infected cat and goes on to cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. The incubation period for rabies in cats can last between nine days and one year, but most cats begin to show symptoms within fifteen to twenty-five days of being infected.

    Symptoms

    • The first stage of rabies in felines is characterized by behavior changes. An affectionate cat can become aggressive and a more standoffish cat will become overly affectionate. Eventually a cat will withdraw from attention and avoid light. In the next stage, an infected cat could become aggressive and violent, attacking humans and other animals. It will go on to stagger, become disoriented, experience violent convulsions and then paralysis before dying, according to the "Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook."

    Risk Factors

    • Cats at greatest risk for developing rabies are those that are not vaccinated against the disease. Rabies is found across the United States in populations of wild animals including skunks, foxes, raccoons and coyotes. Rural cats are most likely to be bitten by an infected wild animal. The virus is passed from the infected animal to the cat when the animal's saliva comes in contact with the cat's blood.

    Treatment

    • According to the ASPCA, in cats that have not been vaccinated against rabies, the disease is almost 100% fatal. The only thing that can be done for most cats is to isolate them to prevent the spread of the disease, then put the cat down once it displays symptoms. If a cat that has been vaccinated is bitten by a rabid animal, it should be taken to a veterinarian at once. In addition to isolating it, the veterinarian can give it a booster of the rabies vaccine to help it fight off the virus.

    Considerations

    • Rabies is not just a fatal disease in cats; it is also fatal in dogs and in humans. For a person bitten by an infected cat, the only treatment available is the immediate administration of the vaccine. A cat infected with rabies can have the virus in its saliva before exhibiting any symptoms, so any cat bitten by an unknown animal must be isolated to protect the people and animals around it, even if the cat does not appear sick.