Bitten by neighborhood stray cat. Worried about rabies

[elswordfish]

Hi.

Last night I was bitten by a stray cat that hangs around my front porch. I went immediately to the ER afterwards. The PA and her assistant that saw me didn’t think the cat broke skin but they were not a hundred percent sure. They told me to contact animal control and have the cat quarantined. They didn’t give me the shots and I am quite concerned that they just brushed me off and now I am gonna die of rabies. I am so scared.

I called animal control this morning. The officer who picked up the cat told me that he didn’t think the skin was broken either. But I still am not convinced that it isn’t. I didn’t bleed at all. If that matters. And it was more like a warning bite. But I felt it.

The cat seemed to be acting fine. But what concerns me so much is that he has lost weight. And he was injured himself a couple weeks ago. I don’t know if he was bitten or scratched by something. But there was an open wound on him.

I am hoping that animal control doesn’t kill him to test and they just quarantine and everything is ok. I care about this animal. But, my anxiety is awful over this whole thing.

Do you all think I have reason to worry I have rabies? The PA told me that if the cat died in 10 days or came back positive for rabies if he is put down that I would need the shots. But I just wish they went ahead and did them. I don’t wanna die because they were too late.

[Fishmanpa]

Do you all think I have reason to worry I have rabies?

No

FMP

[elswordfish]

May I ask why I don’t think I should be concerned.

I’d honestly feel much more comfortable if the PA would have given me the shots last night.

[Fishmanpa]

May I ask why I don’t think I should be concerned.

The PA and her assistant that saw me didn’t think the cat broke skin.

The officer who picked up the cat told me that he didn’t think the skin was broken either. I didn’t bleed at all. And it was more like a warning bite.

The cat seemed to be acting fine.

FMP

[.Poppy.]

Can you ask animal control what will happen to the cat?

It sounds like you have a good plan in place already - after a 10 day quarantine, if the cat is still well, you'll be okay (and it sounds like the cat didn't even break skin to begin with). I would assume animal control will let you know what their findings are?

It is exceedingly unlikely the cat is ill, or that anything was passed to you, but I also think it sounds like things are well in hand and your bases are well covered.

[elswordfish]

Can you ask animal control what will happen to the cat?

It sounds like you have a good plan in place already - after a 10 day quarantine, if the cat is still well, you'll be okay (and it sounds like the cat didn't even break skin to begin with). I would assume animal control will let you know what their findings are?

It is exceedingly unlikely the cat is ill, or that anything was passed to you, but I also think it sounds like things are well in hand and your bases are well covered.

I asked the guy from animal control that came out about that. He said that it would be up to the discretion of the head vet at the shelter. But that a quarantine was more likely than killing the cat and testing it for rabies. I am gonna feel awful if they do end up euthanizing him.

Animal control also said that I could call back anytime to check on the cat but that if something is actually wrong with him and worst comes to worst they would call me and I would immediately need to go in for rabies shots.

They also advised me to go back to my urgent care clinic today to get a second opinion. So that is what I am about to do.

[elswordfish]

The doctor at the Urgent Care gave me a real look over and even checked with a flashlight. She told me she doesn’t think he broke skin either but to keep a watch to see if I had any redness or anything in the next 24 hours and I haven’t. She said if the cat had rabies that I would need to come back to the ER for shots.

I don’t think the cat does but he’s in quarantine so we’ll see. Wish me luck/pray for me if you all pray.

[.Poppy.]

I think you’ll be just fine - they’d likely have contacted you by now if the cat were unwell. Rabies is a slow moving virus, but once it reaches the point of being transmissible it’s in the brain so symptoms are very obvious. Meaning, a 10 day quarantine is just playing it safe, by this point if the cat were sick enough to pass it on there would be no question.

But, you do have a good plan in place regardless of what you end up needing to do.

I had a rabies scare myself from a cat last year (I ended up getting the series because the cat vanished so we couldn’t quarantine). So I definitely did my share of reading on the subject last year, ha. I know it’s very scary, but remember rabies is incredibly rare still and the health department/animal control know what they are doing.

[elswordfish]

Hate to hear that happened to you too Poppy. Yeah it didn’t seem like the cat had any symptoms. But, I am worried as to why he had lost weight. But that could have a bunch of causes.

The animal shelter got back to me this morning. They said they probably weren’t going to quarantine the cat because where he did not draw blood from me. They told me to contact the health department though because they were the ones in charge of the decision.

Without him being quarantined I will not know and I really need to find a way to get the vaccine. I am gonna call the doctor I saw the other day back on Monday and ask her if she can help me with getting those.

Also the lady at the animal shelter thought I should be ok since I didn’t bleed. But, I don’t like the “should” part. Makes me so anxious.

[Lana]

Hi there,

Cats RARELY have rabies. That poor stray is probably hungry and in fights all the time, and that is why he lost weight.

The other thing, if yo do not mind me asking: how on Earth can you get rabies ( or anything in a similar way), if there is no puncture wounds, and especially you never bled? I mean biologically and technically speaking, if there was no blood, there was no puncture, so how can you get it?