Caution when handling outside cats -one word: RABIES

Recently there have been several cases of animal rabies in the news.  Whenever I hear a story about a rabid animal, it reminds me of a conversation I had many years ago with a client that did not believe that rabies was real.  She asked me, "if you've never seen a rabid animal, how do you know rabies really exists."  I was rendered speechless (my mouth may even have dropped open :).  This must have been a good dose of reality to a young veterinarian, for this conversation is still fresh in my mind.

Rabies DOES exist in Wisconsin.  And it exists in racoons, foxes, skunks and bats in the wild (to name a few), and in cats, dogs, horses, and cows and people.  And, RABIES IS FATAL (the only exception if the young girl in Fon Du Lac several years ago).

Another fact that may suprise you is that MANY people that let their cats outside, do not give rabies vaccines.  I see this at the Fox Valley Cat Clinic (and discuss it) DAILY in the exam room.  You are putting your family at risk if your cat goes outside without a current rabies vaccine.  Putting the "why would you let your cat roam outside unattended" aside, rabies is a very real threat to any outside animal, even in Wisconsin.

So, here is the point I have been moving towards -cat lovers need to be very cautious about handling ANY outdoor cat.  Please assume any stray is NOT current on rabies vaccination, and therefore a potential carrier of the disease. All it takes is a bite or scratch to your skin.   I ALWAYS wear leather glove when approaching an outdoor stray, as a precautionary measure, and you should too.  Even a kitten.  Any animal that is afraid or startled will bite.  PLEASE don't put yourself in the position that a very good client of mine found herself in last month:  having to euthanize a stray cat that she was trying to rescue because she got bit in the hand, therefore the cat HAD to be tested for rabies  ( which requires microscopic testing of brain tissue -gruesome, but true.)

Takeaway facts.  Rabies kills people.  Rabies is easy to prevent.  Wear gloves around ANY stray cat.
Dr. Maureen Flatley