Cat with Rabies

I don't want to get stuck on this issue for too long, but on today's Suffolk News Herald web site,there was a report of a stray cat that was tested for rabies and fount to be infected with the deadly virus.

The report indicates that three people who may have come in contact with the infected animal, are undergoing treatment. I think that the treatment for rabies is a little better nowadays, but I am pretty sure that previously, one would have to get a series of painful needles in the stomach to be treated for exposure. Ouch!

This is another example of why people need to keep their pet cats inside, and to also make sure that their cat's rabies vaccinations are up to date. This is important because even if your cat is kept indoors, there is always a chance he could get out either accidentally, or for some other reason. (BTW, picture is not of rabid cat!)

Rut roh - Rabies

I didn't think rabies was really something to worry about, especially here in the Jersey 'burbs, but according to an article in the March 7 Bergen Record a raccoon was found to have the deadly viral disease. I didn't know this, but apparently there have been more than 5,000 rabid animals identified in NJ since the late 80's.

Rabies, without treatment, is 100% fatal. It is not joke, and as far as I know, only one person in history survived rabies without treatment. Rabies can be transmitted to humans through biting, scratching or direct contact with saliva from an infected animal and so it is important to be aware of animals that are behaving in an unusual manner. (Chillin' raccoon in the picture is more typical behavior!)

For example, in the article, a man was trying to put his car in the garage and he spotted this infected raccoon. He stomped his feet to shoo it off, but instead of leaving, the raccoon attacked the person and actually scratched his leg. This, is unusual behavior for a raccoon!

The happy ending is that the man luckily was not infected.

So why is this on a blog about cats? Well, for some reason, people still think that it is OK for them to let their cats wander about outside. Well, it isn't. If you have a cat as a pet, that cat should be kept indoors. Period. Nothing good can come of a pet cat allowed to roam about outside, especially around here where getting run-over is also a real possibility. Cats, like dogs, should be under the constant control and supervision of their human keepers, end of story!