we found some baby kittens outside and took care of them outside. i doubt they had much contact with other cats. they ran to the neighbors and she took them to the vet. one of them had an eye infection. we got them back and kept them inside. they were 5 weeks old when they went to the vet and they have been here inside a little over a month.
the other day i noticed they were breathing funny. like panting. they eat fine, and drink milk. i wanna know why theyre panting?? its been really really hot
they scratch me/bite me all the time when theyre playfighting no major scratches but thing is i havent been feeling well.. ive been feeling sort of not hungry and exhausted all the time. could they have rabies and given it to me or would the vet have known they have it? i dont have money to take them to the vet--or a ride.
we have other housecats but keep them seperate.
sorry this is so long!
2007-07-24 01:51:54 · 8 answers · asked by scraggycat 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
yes.
2007-07-24 01:54:43 · answer #1 · answered by Blessed Be 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
They are panting because it is hot and so small kittens can't regulate their body temperature well. keep them in a cool place. I am sure they don't have rabies, they would be dead by now, after a month. Your not feeling well is also probably due to the heat. You could have gotten some virus too, either from being scratched or by elsewhere, not the cats, but definitely not rabies. If you had started to show symptoms of rabies the kittens would be long dead by now! The vet can't tell if they have rabies, because a. they have no symptoms, b. he would have to open their head ti test, and it is not recommended to do that to perfectly healthy kittens, lol. But he can tell if they have anything else, so if you see them panting again, or having eye or nose mucus, you'd better take them to the vet because they may have a respiratory problem.
2007-07-24 09:00:39 · answer #2 · answered by cpinatsi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good job that you are caring for these babies. It is so refreshing to have good people out their.
Rabies is unlikely. There are very few cases of rabies these days but still you should try to take the cats to a vet.
Don't panic, I would guess that your symptoms are coincidental.
With kittens you worry more about Upper Respiratory or Feline Leukemia which is non transmissible to humans in that form. Either way the kittens should be treated. If nothing else call your vet with the symptoms and explain your situation. Maybe your vet will dispense an antibiotic for you to give your kitties to see if that helps. You could also call around to some cat rescues and see if they can help you take care of these kittens. Each rescue agency works differently. Besides if you can't afford to take these kitties to a vet now. That means that when they grow up that they will mate with each other and have more kittens that you can't take care of. If I were in your shoes for the safety of the kittens and the comfort of your pocket book I would give them up to a no kill rescue agency where they could be treated properly. Don't forget...although some of the kitty diseases are not transmissable to you they can be to other cats especially if your current cats are not vaccinated. With the exception of Toxoplasmosis which is transmissable to other cats and people. There is no vaccine for Toxo...but again, Toxo is rare and it is unlikely they have it..but one never knows. For all of your safety you have some decisions to make. Good Luck and good job!
2007-07-24 09:10:27 · answer #3 · answered by Dixie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you need to worry about rabies! If the weather has been really hot the kittens will pant. Perhaps your health has been affected by the weather as well. If you are really concerned that the kittens are affecting your health and you can't afford to take them to the vet contact the PDSA and they will be able to help you. Best of luck and good on you for taking in the kittens.
2007-07-24 08:58:16 · answer #4 · answered by witchnanny 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not born with it, that doesn't mean they can't have it, but if they eat, drink and sleep there's a pretty good chance they do not have rabies.
However if you have ANY doubts you should have the kitties checked out, perhaps you can call and animal shelter or a humane society.
Rabies is the deadliest virus on the planet, with a 99.9% fatality rate, once symptoms set it is almost always lethal. It is deadlier than AIDS, deadlier than TB, measles, polio and even deadlier than Ebola.
First symptoms include sleeplessness, restlessness, headache, depression, inability to swallow, oversensitivity to light and sounds.
You HAVE to talk to someone this is not the right place for a matter this serious.
2007-07-24 09:01:18 · answer #5 · answered by acydskull 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Do a rabies test on urself. Ask a friend to put there hand next to your mouth and if u bite them you have rabies. Joking. I'm sure ur fine i doubt its from the kittens, if the kittens had rabies they would be displaying symptoms.
2007-07-24 09:15:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you want to check yourself for rabies or why you may be tired, see your doctor. Don't blame the cats.
2007-07-24 08:56:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
The problem is probavly the heat. Have them drink more and you need to drink more water.
2007-07-24 09:25:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋