what are symptoms your cat has rabies?

Question

My cat has been acting mean lately, (hissing and swatting at me and the other cat), she is an indoor cat, but what are the signs of rabies in a cat?

Answer 1

First of all, is the cat vaccinated against rabies? Being indoor possibilities may be very slim that she got rabies. Rabies is caused by another rabid animal biting her, could another animal such as a bat or mouse have bitten her? sometimes even just saliva contact may cause rabies, can another rabid animal have hissed in your cat's face?
It sounds more as a behavioral issue, some cats experience reverse aggression, which means they may have simply seen another threatening animal such as from the window, felt afraid and intimidated and then reversed the aggression towards you.
However these are the symptoms which appear in different phases: from: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=346

"The virus is relatively slow moving and the average time of incubation from exposure to brain involvement is between 3 to 8 weeks in dogs, 2 to 6 weeks in cats, and 3 to 6 weeks in people. However, incubation periods as long as 6 months in dogs and 12 months in people have been reported. After the virus reaches the brain it then will move to the salivary glands where it can be spread through a bite. After the virus reaches the brain the animal will show one, two, or all of the three different phases.

Prodromal phase

The first is the prodromal phase and usually lasts for 2-3 days in dogs. Apprehension, nervousness, anxiety, solitude, and a fever may be noted. Friendly animals may become shy or irritable and may snap, whereas, aggressive animals may become affectionate and docile. Most animals will constantly lick the site of the bite. In cats, the prodromal phase lasts for only 1-2 days and they usually develop more fever spikes and erratic behavior than dogs.

Furious phase

From the prodromal phase, animals may enter the furious stage; cats are particularly prone to developing this phase. The furious stage of the disease in dogs usually lasts for 1 to 7 days. Animals become restless and irritable and are hyperresponsive to auditory and visual stimuli. As they become more restless, they begin to roam and become more irritable and vicious. When caged, dogs may bite and attack their enclosures. Animals progress to become disoriented and then have seizures and eventually die.

Paralytic (dumb) phase

Animals may develop the paralytic phase either after the prodromal or furious stage. The paralytic phase usually develops within 2 to 4 days after the first signs are noted. Nerves affecting the head and throat are the first to be involved and animals may begin to salivate as a result of their inability to swallow. Deep labored breathing and a dropped jaw may result as the diaphragm and face muscles become increasingly paralyzed. Animals may make a choking sound and many owners think that there is something lodged in the dog’s throat. This was the case with both dogs I was exposed to (as mentioned earlier) and the owners were also exposed as they had been looking in the dog’s mouth for a foreign object. The animal will get weaker and eventually go into respiratory failure and die"

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
what are symptoms your cat has rabies?
My cat has been acting mean lately, (hissing and swatting at me and the other cat), she is an indoor cat, but what are the signs of rabies in a cat?

Answer 3

When was the last time you took your cat to the vet? How old is your cat? Has she received all of her shots? Is your cat a strickly indoor cat only or do you let her out sometimes and bring her back in?

No matter what her symptoms are, if she is not acting like herself, take her to the vet. He or she will exam her thoroughly and will be able to diagnosis what is wrong with her. She may have an underlying physical problem that you are unaware of.

Good luck to you and your cat! Pets are wonderful and beautiful creatures created by God to provide us with friendship and companionship.

I hope I was some what helpful!

Answer 4

it's usually really odd behavior-
very sensitive and snapping at any movement, increasing temper and instablity, losing balance, drooling heavily, unable to drink but hanging around at the water.
It can also manifest as "dumb rabies" in which the animal just gets super-lethargic...

The vet will usually quarantine a questionable animal for 10-15 days, it's a bit pricey but MUCH better than going through the treatment and possibly facing the loss of the other cat, too.

Answer 5

slobbering and foaming at the mouth, but i suggest you put "symptoms of rabies in a cat" into a web search and read all about it. Even an indoor cat should have all her shots as a mouse could bring her the disease and you cant keep mice out of any house.

Answer 6

has she been exposed to rabies? Maybe you have just ticked her off. If you are concerned, you need to have a vet/animal control quarantine her for 30ish days. DO NOT FUSS WITH THIS.

Rabies can be transferred to humans and it is fatal. Don't screw around with this, at all. Check with your vet NOW if you suspect your cat has been exposed.

Answer 7

Symptoms of rabies may vary widely from animal to animal. In any animal, the first sign of rabies is usually a change in behavior. The animal becomes either unnaturally withdrawn or unnaturally approachable.

In the "furious" form, the animal is excited, aggressive, irritable, and may snap at anything in its path. It loses all caution and fear of natural enemies. If the animal has the "dumb" form of the disease, it may appear unusually tame, affectionate, and friendly. Staggering, paralysis, and frothing at the mouth are sometimes noticed. Many animals have a change in the sound of their voice.

Answer 8

I don't know all the symptoms, but you really need to quarentine it until you can get it to the vet. This is very serious. It's not unusual for them to hiss and swatt and like most cats they have their moods. I would personally get it checked out or at least call the vet, asap

Answer 9

if your cat is foaming at the mouth or drinking excessive amounts of water,, take her to the vet or put her down she may just be having a fit or other illness, rabies, shows up with-in a few days after infection. play it safe call a vet....

Answer 10

Distemper can be like that too. Has it had it's shots?