Signs & Symptoms of Rabies in Housecats

Rabies is a viral disease transmitted primarily through animal bites. Housecats are at less risk for rabies than pets with significant exposure to wild animals, although they can obtain the disease from a number of sources. The symptoms of rabies are essentially the same in housecats as in other small mammals: a period of lethargy followed by aggression, physical degeneration and death.

  1. Lethargy

    • The earliest symptoms of rabies are malaise, fever and lethargy. In housecats, malaise may manifest as slowed pace of movement, loss of ability to swallow and joint stiffness. Rabies symptoms do not generally manifest until 20 days to 6 months after the animal's initial exposure to the disease, so pet owners may not always be able to draw a direct link between their animal's altered behavior and the incident that led to infection.

    Aggression

    • Lethargy is often followed by a period of aggressive behavior, sometimes called "furious rabies," during which cats exhibit the symptoms most commonly associated with the rabies: hyperactivity, increased sensitivity to noise and light, and violence. Toward the end of this period, the cat may drool or foam at the mouth. Cats exhibiting these symptoms should be quarantined to avoid spreading the disease to humans or other animals. People who have had contact with a cat exhibiting these symptoms should seek medical attention.

    Degeneration

    • After 2 to 10 days of rabies symptoms, the cat will enter a period of physical degeneration ending in death. Joint stiffness may reach the point of paralysis and may be accompanied by loss of vision and hearing. Difficulty breathing commonly causes animals to enter a coma before death. The bodies of rabies-infected cats may contain traces of the disease and should only be handled by animal control professionals. There is no known treatment for rabies once symptoms have manifested, so many animals are euthanized before the final phase of degeneration occurs.

    Variation

    • Rabies is a quickly evolving virus, and symptoms may vary from animal to animal. Some cats will proceed directly from a period of lethargy to a degenerative coma (a progression called "dormant rabies"), while others may manifest aggressive symptoms with little advance warning. Owners familiar with their cat's temperament should watch out for any sudden changes in behavior. The best treatment for rabies is preemptive vaccination, which the Department of Health and Human Services recommends for all domesticated animals.