Does my cat have rabies?

Question

I got my kitten about a month and a half ago from a shelter. The person at the shelter said that my kitten did not get any shots for vaccination and I have yet to take him to the vet and give him those shots. Lately he's been acting aggressive-- bitting and causing bleeding etc. He doesn't go outside at all, so I don't think there is any way he could have gotten sick during the time I had him. It could be from his exposure of other animals during his time in a shelter, which i persume wasn't long, because he's fairly young. But if he did become in contact with rabies during his stay at the shelter, wouldn't my kitten have died by now? Should i be carefull?

Answer 1

Rabies can take several months before an infected animal starts showing symptoms, so theoretically, it's possible he was exposed to it before you got him and is just now developing symptoms.

However, it's not common in domestic cats in the US. Not that it doesn't occur - it can and it does - just that a large enough portion of the pet population is vaccinated (and kept safe from the bites of animals that commonly carry rabies, like skunks, bats, and raccoons) that there are more likely explanations for your kitten's behavior that you should rule out first.

Unfortunately, there are no tests that can be done on a live animal to determine if it has rabies.

Once symptoms start showing up the disease progresses pretty rapidly. Your best option is probably to try to quarantine your kitten (so that he can't bit anyone else) for a week to ten days to see if he develops any other symptoms. If he starts having seizures, vomiting, drooling, etc. you'll need to take him to the vet. Should the vet determine that rabies is likely, your kitten will have to be put down. Mostly likely, though, he won't develop any additional symptoms and you can assume the biting was caused by kitty puberty, or something.

Answer 2

rabies infections are really rare in this day and age, I would doubt that your kitten has rabies, sometimes as kittens mature they become more aggressive especially if you have gotten in the habit of playing rough with him , with your hands IE he thinks your hands are OK to bite as he would bite prey or another kitten. When he starts to get aggressive with you the best thing to do is to stop playing with him immediately and turn your back on him and ignore him. But yes I would take him to the vet to get his shots soon so you know he is protected against all the kitty diseases out there.

Answer 3

You really should take your kitten to the vet. Mainly to get his shots and rabies vaccination.

To answer your question though, I doubt your kitten has rabies. Kittens are hunters. And they love to play and explore their world. Very curious, like most babies, be it puppy, kitten or human. They are learning new skills and this is normal play for kittens.

I have 3 cats a 14 year old and two 13 year old kitties. The two youngest to this day still play like kittens do and box each other, and play fight. Totally normal.

Answer 4

Rabies would kill a kitten within a few days.

Your kitten is being a kitten. They bite and practice prey strikes on their litter mates at this age--and on you when they HAVE no litter mates to play with. Get him some stuffed toys about his size so he can do hunting skills on them.

When he bites you gently disengage him and put him down, let him work off his excitement on small toys or the stuffies. Don't let him get used to hands being toys, or he'll be biting for months.

Young kittens can barely control their claws, so don't worry about those. Just make sure he redirects the biting for now.

If a kitten was sick, he'd be going down fast. They just don't have the system or body weight to weather nasty diseases.

Answer 5

in case you're actually optimistic that the cat has no longer been outdoors and has no longer been uncovered to animals that pass out then that's quite lots impossible for him to have rabies. Cats bite for many motives, worry, annoyance, anger, showing dominence, and purely because of the fact. the only checks for rabies are to maintain the cat constrained for a era of 10 days to 2 weeks to make optimistic it does not become sick with the indications you learn or to have it killed and its suggestions examined. the US centers for illness administration says that on a similar time as rabies might take months to take place in an animal the only time that's contagious (and the only time the animal will act sick) is after the illness has moved into the animals suggestions and saliva. Then many times interior of three-5 days it's going to be very obtrusive that the animal is sick with the indications you learn. If the cat does start to instruct thise sympoms contained in right here few days then you certainly do ought to take it to a vet and it does must be examined even although which ability putting it to sleep it is truly kinder than letting it gon with the aid of a terrible dying from rabies so as which you will discover out of you pick for the human prevenataive rabies treatments so as which you don't get sick and die. it could be very stable to your cat - the two cats - to pass to the vet and get his pictures and so which you will contemplate having him neutered because of the fact it is going to help calm him, end him from territory marking (peeing or spraying) on your place, make him much less in all probability to become aggressive with you and which contain your different cat and help him be much less in all probability to get the assumption of determining sometime once you open the door and not coming returned or getting very sick if he did get out and get right into a combat or replaced into uncovered to a distinctive animal who replaced into sick. i'm happy you rescued him and gave him a sturdy domicile and which you recognize and settle for his no longer being a cuddly kitty. he's blessed to have you ever.

Answer 6

how old is your kitten? in order to contract rabies, the animal must have direct contact with a rabid animal. chances are the shelter would have noticed if there was a rabid cat in with yours. the worst thing you have to worry about with a shelter kitten is felv and fiv. take your kitten to the vet have him tested for felv and fiv and get his vaccines done

Answer 7

Take him to the vet and stop worrying..I doubt if he has rabies. You wont find the answer here.

Answer 8

Your cat would have had to be bitten by an animal that already had it. Here is link that will tell all about it.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1316&articleid=346

Answer 9

Is he foaming at the mouth?