Rabies is a notifiable and dangerous animal disease. Discover how rabies manifests in cats, why treatment is not possible, and how you can protect your cat in our guide.
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A vaccination reliably protects cats from rabies.
Rabies is an extremely dangerous infectious disease. Once it breaks out, it is always fatal, whether for a cat or a human.
It’s important to know in which regions there is a high risk of infection and in which the danger is relatively low.
In many Western European countries, urban rabies has been eradicated through control measures (e.g., oral immunisation of foxes).
Countries with a low risk of infection include:
Most countries where there is a high risk of rabies infection are in Asia, Africa, and South America. These include:
In addition to cats, other animals like dogs, cattle, or pigs can contract rabies. Since it is a zoonosis, humans can also become infected.
Generally, animals and people are at a higher risk of the disease if they live in areas where rabies is prevalent and have frequent contact with wild animals.
Concerning cats, usually only outdoor cats are affected, as indoor cats are typically well shielded from the outside world.
The rabies virus is primarily transmitted through bite wounds where contaminated saliva enters the body of the bitten animal. Cats can also get infected through already open wounds. In humans, organ transplants can also play a role.
Initially, the rabies viruses attack the exposed muscle cells in the wound. As peripheral nerve fibres (outside the brain and spinal cord) are abundant in muscles, the rabies viruses can travel via ascending nerves to the central nervous system (CNS), the spinal cord, and the brain.
Once there, the infection spreads again through descending nerves, so besides the salivary glands, the eyes and skin are also affected.
If your cat has been bitten by an infected animal, the first symptoms usually appear within a period of two to twenty-four weeks. The closer the wound is to the central nervous system, the faster the rabies virus can infect the nerve tissue.
As the rabies viruses spread along the nerves, various symptoms develop. Veterinarians divide the symptoms into three stages, which may overlap:
In the first stage, behavioural changes occur. Cats show increased vocalisations. Due to the virus multiplication, severe itching occurs at the site of the virus entry, and the cats lick and scratch the wounds. They also vomit, are restless, and exhibit heightened fearful behaviour.
This stage is known as the “furious rage”. The affected cat is nervous, wild, and easily excited. Muscle twitches and convulsions can occur throughout the body. It bites seemingly uncontrollably and is disoriented.
Increased salivation and escalating swallowing difficulties are particularly noticeable and typical of rabies.
In the final stage, paralysis symptoms dominate. Hence, this stage is also referred to as the “dumb rage”. Eventually, the cat falls into a coma and dies from respiratory or heart muscle paralysis.
If you suspect your cat might have rabies, you must notify your vet by phone. Your vet will then take further steps and inform the responsible authority.
Due to the high risk of infection, your cat must not have contact with people or other pets from the moment of suspicion—except for authorised individuals (e.g., the responsible authority).
Do not take your suspicious cat to the vet and keep it indoors. Isolate your cat from yourself and other pets.
Don’t forget, though, to provide it with fresh water, food, and a litter tray.
If your cat’s behaviour suddenly changes, it doesn’t necessarily mean it has rabies. Severe pain or nerve tissue injuries (e.g., from a disc herniation) could also be the cause. Cats also show behavioural changes when under stress.
Your vet will initially conduct a thorough interview and check your cat’s vaccination status to determine if the suspicion of a rabies infection is likely.
If your vet concludes that rabies is highly probable, legal steps will be taken, and the veterinary authority will be informed. They will then take over, including diagnostics.
Unfortunately, standard procedures for direct or indirect virus detection in living cats are poorly evaluable. Currently, rabies diagnosis is often done through pathological examination after your cat has died or been euthanised.
The current methods of choice include:
There is a strict treatment ban for rabies in cats (and other animals) in many countries. Rabies outbreaks in cats (and other infected animals) are always fatal.
Therefore, according to the “Ordinance on Protection Against Rabies”, veterinarians must euthanise suspected rabid cats. This is to prevent unnecessary suffering for the cat and to protect other living beings and humans.
Since rabies is always fatal, you should protect your cat from infection.
The primary immunisation is generally administered from the twelfth week according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Most vaccines require a booster every three years thereafter.
Besides vaccination, it is also advisable to avoid contact with suspicious wild animals and to report such animals to the relevant authority.
The vaccination requirement for cats and other pets varies from country to country and can change at any time.
If you are moving or getting a pet for the first time, it’s always advisable to check the current vaccination requirements in your country.
Should you wish to travel with your cat to endemic areas (risk areas), depending on the country, you will need to provide certain evidence of antibody titres.
Rabies is a usually sudden and fatal viral disease caused by infection with lyssaviruses (also called rabies viruses). The term “Lyssa” comes from Greek and means “madness” or “irrational rage”.
The English term “rabies” comes from Latin and means “rage” or “frenzy”. Both terms reflect rabies symptoms, which include excessive salivation and increased biting behaviour.
Rabies viruses belong to the Rhabdoviridae family. For cats, two virus forms are significant worldwide:
Classic rabies (also known as terrestrial rabies) can be divided into two forms:
This form of rabies is named after bats, as they are considered carriers of this virus.
Other viruses include:
At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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