there is a raccoon that comes to our backyard almost every night and eats all the leftovers from my cat's food. we don't mind it because it's so cute! but it eats straight from my cat's bowl and im worried that it might have rabies and contaminate the bowl. how do you know if a raccoon has rabies or not?
and should i clean the bowl every time the raccoon eats from it?
2007-08-09 13:18:46 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
The only definitive test for rabies involves a sampling of the animals brain tissue. The animal has to be dead for that to occur. Some symptoms are a distinct and sudden change in behavior (vicious animals become tamer and vice versa), neurological symtoms such as staggering, salivating, or seeming to not know where one's feet/limbs are, prolapsed third eyelids (you should not get close enough to any animal suspect of rabies to find this out) and changes in sleep wake cycles (nocturnal animals being active during the day).
I would not suggest continueing to feed this animal. Cat food is very high in taurine, and giving it to an animal which may not need it may decrease the life of the animal and cause kidney failure, having or encouraging this animal to stay can also cause your animals and YOU to have worms (treatment is not pleasant), and raccoons tend to harbor a lot of disease which could kill your cat and could make you sick. If you are not afraid of the little microscopic germ, consider what would happen to Kitty if ever a turf war would occur between the two. Kitty would be in shreds. Raccoons have been known to be able to kill large dogs. If you encourage this raccoon to stay around, it may start up a family and invite more germs and more chances of killing your pet.
I highly suggest cutting off this animals food supply and have it move on away from you. If you think the animal is cute, go to the library and read books about them.
2007-08-09 15:08:25 · answer #1 · answered by Pearson 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contact your vet and find out what the laws are in your area..most places require a rabies booster even if the vaccination is current if a dog has been exposed to a "suspect" animal and received wounds. Often the dog needs to also be quarantined for 10 days...if the raccoon comes back positive for rabies quarantine can be extended for up to 45 days. Also advise the ACO and/or police department and send the dead racoon off to be tested for rabies. Since rabies is a public health issue this really needs to be reported.Raccoons have a high rabies rate especially in some areas.
2016-04-01 08:34:17 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only definitive way to know is to test the tissue in it's brain. If you see the raccoon during the day staggering around then stay away, that could very well be a rabid raccoon.
However, just because the raccoon doesn't have rabies doesn't mean it doesn't have something else that it could be transmitting to your cat. Be safe and remove the bowl when your cat's done eating.
2007-08-09 13:27:14 · answer #3 · answered by altaira 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Raccoons, like squirrels, marmots, ground-squirrels, mice, bats and every other rodent & wild critter out there can carry rabies--some with no evident symptoms of same, merely 'carriers'. Raccoons will eat anything that's left out for them, cute-cute-cute - but certainly should NOT be encouraged. Not just a question of cleaning the cat's bowl after Racky feeds...mo' bettah you remove the bowl right after the cat finishes din-dins. Better yet, feed pussens indoors. In a food-fight over the snacks, Racky would win - and I've known a raccoon to kill a dog.
2007-08-09 13:26:38 · answer #4 · answered by constantreader 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You know if the racoon has rabies if it comes by you and then starts to rub on you. And if you see foam in it's mouth. DO NOT be distractred by it's cuteness! If you get bit count yourself painful shots in your back and a few days in the hospital. And you should clean the bowl just in case. And be careful for those bites! ( : ( :
2007-08-09 15:03:08 · answer #5 · answered by sweetcorn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your cat can't get rabies without a direct bite - saliva into a wound - but it can pass other diseases to animals and if it comes by when your cat is out, it can and will attack and kill your cat over the food bowl or it may kill a neighbor's pet. It may also get into the trash. I'd pick up the food. Feeding wild animals is a bad idea. It makes them reliant on people food and not their natural food sources - resulting in damage and injuries to pets and possible disease transmission.
2007-08-09 13:26:42 · answer #6 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Ummm...Do your cat stays out all night or just comes in and out of your house?? If I was you i would...cuz I dont think you can till if a raccoon have rabies or not. Im guessing it probably does, because of it`s a wild animale. You know what i mean??
I have 6 Cats and 1 dog...n 4 of my cats are outdoor, and they stay inside in the daytime and go out somtimes at nighttime...Hope that work 4 you...
OR ask your vet...!! lol
2007-08-09 13:25:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
You can't always tell if a racoon has rabies. They can be carriers and not be sick. It is best to discourage wildlife like racoons from coming near pets and people. Outdoor cats are most susceptible to exposure. I wouldn't let one anyone near me or my pets--rabies kills. Racoons also carry a parasite called balysascaris which is deadly to people.
2007-08-09 13:53:16 · answer #8 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if I were you, Id stop leaving food out at nite. Ya, the raccoon is cute, but they can carry nasty diseases. Its not a good idea to encourage wildlife to get close to your home.
2007-08-09 20:46:07 · answer #9 · answered by Nekkid Truth! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well yes you don't wan't your cat to be sick.
2007-08-09 13:58:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋