Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/north-carolina-cat-rabies/

North Carolina health officials say that a cat exhibiting signs of rabies has attacked its owner after coming into contact with a wild animal suspected of carrying the disease. The feline is believed to have contracted rabies from an “unspecified wild animal” during the week of Nov. 2 in the “southern central part” of Brunswick County.

Keep Pets Vaccinated

This comes from a November 14 news release per Brunswick County Health Services. “The cat was injured, became ill, and later attacked its owner,” the release stated. It went on to say, “The cat was taken to a veterinarian where it was euthanized and tested positive for rabies.”

Rabies and Pets

The health department also noted that the owner of the cat is being treated since the attack took place. No further information was released about their condition or treatment plan, but we can assume it includes the rabies vaccine, which can be given after the fact. Apparently, the feline was not current on its rabies vaccinations, as is required by state law in North Carolina.

The law there states that all dogs, cats, and ferrets must be kept current on their rabies vaccinations from the time they are four months old.

Rabies Vaccines

While your pets should be kept up to date on all of their vaccines, if they regularly go outdoors, this particular vaccine should never be overlooked or missed when it comes time to remain current. Humans can also get vaccinated for rabies before exposure. Doing so will likely lower the number of shots you’ll have to receive during the course of treatment should you become infected with the virus.

Regular Vet Appointments

Because of relatively high vaccine rates, cases among domestic animals are relatively rare in North Carolina. According to the agency, there were about 15 reported cases of rabies in cats and 20 in dogs in North Carolina in 2020, the last year data was made available. In 2021, an infected kitten in Alabama bit someone, demonstrating that it’s best to err on the side of caution and keep pets up to date on their shots.

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog