Anything For Animals

posted by admin on May 17

Rabies Symptoms in Cats.

If you are unlucky enough to live in an area with prevalent rabies, then you would hope that your cat never got affected, but as there are many wild animals that carry this virus in the US - see Common Carriers of the Rabies Virus article - you will either need to get your cat vaccinated or watch out for the tell-tale signs of infection to protect yourself and other pets.

Luckily for cats however, they are less likely to get infected with rabies than dogs, but this does not mean that they will not get it, and in fact several cats a year (in the US) are reported to have contracted this virus. So how does a cat get rabies, and what are the symptoms of rabies in cats?

How does a cat get rabies?
The virus can only get into the cat from the saliva of an infected animal through broken skin or an open sore, so any bite-like wound or unidentified scratches should be treated with suspicion if living in an area known to have rabid wildlife. The site of the wound may become very itchy for the cat, and it may be chewing or scratching this area intensely.

Also, as the virus may be present in the saliva of an animal before it shows any outward signs of having rabies itself (i.e. a very normal looking raccoon could be infected), it is very important to isolate any pet cat which has been bitten by an unknown animal and observe them for at least a week for any changes to their personality or health.

If precautions are not taken, an infected pet cat could pass this on to other pets in the neighbourhood because the pattern of the disease is known to cause an infected animal to become more violent than normal, and therefore more likely to bite something else to pass on the virus in it’s own saliva. What it bites though, could be a human.

What are the symptoms of rabies in cats?
Initial rabies symptoms in cats include pyrexia (raised temperature) and a change in temperament. It is possible that the cat may become more placid and seek your affection, or they may hide away in corners or under beds, or go on longer than normal walks.

There are 2 recognised forms of rabies that cats can be identified as having, depending on the symptoms they show; known as either furious rabies or dumb rabies.

In furious rabies the cat will likely become more and more excitable, in episodes lasting anything from a matter or minutes to several hours. During these episodes, they may become more aggressive, possibly snapping and trying to bite other pets or their owners. They may also just snap at imaginary objects. Cats are also reported to stay very energised and may arch their backs continually.

Many cats with this form of the disease develop a depraved appetite and will chew and eat almost anything they can get hold of. 

As with any animal, the disease will progress quickly, and may include paresis (muscle weakness) in the legs and the tail. The muscles of the face and neck are also affected, commonly resulting in difficulty swallowing, possibly with the classic ‘foaming at the mouth’ which is really just the sick cats way of dealing with the paralysis and it’s nervous state (of the nervous system as this virus travels around the body in the nerve fibres). It may also display an asymmetry and distortion of the face.

With furious rabies, the cat will eventually die during a violent seizure.

Dumb rabies is far more common, with little or no signs - hence it’s name. There are some common traits though and these include a progressive paralysis of the limbs and distortion of the face with drooping of the jaw and drooling, along with difficulty swallowing. This can also affect the eyes, with drooping of the eyelids and squinting.

In this form, the cat will become comatose and may die more peacefully.

Is there a treatment for rabies?
There is no current treatment recommended or practised for cats or dogs with rabies and it is always fatal as a result. The only way to protect your cat from death is to have it vaccinated prior to infection.

This is not because there is not enough known about the virus, but because it is such a direct and often fatal effects on humans. Basically, due to this high risk to humans - the Department for Environment & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)  in the UK, advise that any animal found to have the virus is isolated immediately and that they are informed. When the animal dies (usually within a week or two), it is sent to them for testing to confirm the virus was responsible.

A rabies outbreak is just too much of a risk to humans, so this disease is taken very seriously.

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