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Hello All-I am new here...I have some questions about my cat. I was bad and let his rabies shot expire....I know, and on top of that I have a terrible fear of rabies. I feel like such an idiot even being on here, but I just can't put my mind at ease. Anyway, where we live Animal Control can come out and administer the shots for us for free because my husband is a county employee, so we had the guy come out Tues.(8-7). When he went to give the cat the shot my cat being a cat freaked and tried to get out of my arms and scratched my stomach with his back claws. He did get the shot though. So now I'm worried I need to get the shots too. It so happened I had a Dr's appt. the next day and she said she did not think there was anything to worry about. I had been bugging my husband for a while now to call them and get them over here to do it because it does worry me so bad. I know I sound like a horrible pet owner, but I have not had the money to take him to the vet-a lot has changed since I got him. I have had some health issues and cannot work right now so the money is VERY tight. I just can't shake this fear that he may have already gotten it and he just wasn't showing symptoms yet and now I have really messed up because he got the shot. I have called 2 vets offices for their opinions and they say there probably isn't a problem. He has not changed in behavior or anything like that. I have not seen any evidence that he has been scratched or bitten by anything. He goes outside during the day and comes in at night. He did stay out all night last Saturday though, because he wanted to be difficult and not come when I call him. So then my mind starts up, oh well he must have been fighting or something. I am just terrified. I don't know of anything else to do but have him put down and tested and I have bawled like a baby over the thought of having to do that to him. He is a beautiful cat and very loving. I would hate to sacrifice a perfectly healthy animal...I don't know what to do. Any input would be so helpful. And please don't judge me, I am not the perfect owner, but I do feed him and love him, just because I can't spend a fortune on him at the vet all the time does not mean I don't care. I'm doing the best I can.
Rabies vaccines stay in the system a lot longer than the laws decree shots are needed. Rabies is transmitted through infected saliva getting into the blood stream, such as biting.
You may need antibiotics for the scratches on your stomach, cat scratches can really fester, so I hope your doctor gave you a prescription.
I second the suggestion that you keep your cat inside, but I don't think you need to go through the rabies shots.
Welcome to the forum, and keep any eye on those scratches.
Thanks for the replies. I had been doing a lot of research about the longevity of rabies vaccines in animals and have found a lot of info stating that they indeed provide immunity longer than what people are led to believe. It worries me though, because until Tuesday my cat had only ever had 1 other shot. He is almost 4 years old and received his first shot around 3-4 months old, so I don't know if it was even effective. I would love to keep him in all the time but he has decided to start peeing on my couch when he is in and that drives me crazy. So he has his own room at night to stay in, but I don't feel like I can keep him closed up in there all day and night too. I just don't know. I am at my wits end worrying. I am so afraid I messed up having him revaccinated if by chance he is incubating it and just hasn't become symptomatic. I'm scared this shot will prolong the symptoms or mask them altogether. I am just so worried...
a booster rabies vaccine is often given to a cat who is already protected, but may have had contact with a rabid animal. So the vaccine he got the other day will not cause any harm to him:
Quote:
A cat who is up to date with his vaccinations and who has been bitten by a possibly rabid animal should also be given a rabies booster vaccine immediately and kept under observation for 45 days.
Have their been reports of rabid animals in your area?
Is your cat neutered? Has he been examined for possible urinary tract infection? Urinary tract disorders are the most common cause of inappropriate urination, that and a cat who has not been neutered.
Another thing to consider is most Animal Control agencies are very concerned about rabies transmission. It seems to me if the AC officer who vaccinated your cat thought there was any danger, he would have ordered your cat to be quarantined for up to six months.
If you feel that getting the vaccination series yourself will ease your mind, then do it. It is not pleasant, and is probably expensive.
I recommend you build some sort of outdoor enclosure for your cat, to allow him safe access outside.
There haven't been any reports of rabid animals in my county,there were 3 cases in raccoons last year, but there have been a few cases in neighboring counties so far this year (foxes). I did not say a whole lot to this animal control guy because he acted like he was just ready to take my cat anyway, not a friendly guy...yes my cat has been neutered and I have wondered about a UTI, but this couch is an antique couch that I acquired recently and I am thinking that the previous owner/owners may have had a cat and he smelled that and decided to pee on it. I looked up symptoms of cat UTIs, but he doesn't show any signs other than peeing on the couch. I figure if he had a UTI he would be peeing everywhere when he's inside. I don't know. It is just a huge mess. I guess I'm letting my worry get the best of me. I have had cats all of my life-mostly strays and I have handled them and treated wounds on them without ever giving rabies a thought. I am just so upset because I know the only way to know for sure is to have him tested and that alone is breaking my heart, this whole mess is all my fault. I also hate what these vaccines do to animals. I had my dog done the same day-his vaccine was only a little overdue, he is 9 years old and it made him SO sick. He still isn't quite back to normal, but he is acting better. You just don't know what to do.
You're probably right about the couch. Maybe you should chuck it.
I am sorry you feel so much worry. I understand anxiety. Please, don't euthanize your cat. I am sure he is fine, and I am sure you are fine. If it will help your anxiety, go ahead and get the shots.
If you genuinely feel there is a danger your cat has rabies, the responsible thing to do would be to keep him inside, for a quarantine period of up to a year, so he is not spreading it throughout the counrtyside.
I hope you can overcome your anxiety over this. Talk to your doctor again. Anxiety can wreck your life.
I have certainly thought about getting the couch out of here. He is up there peeing on it in 2 seconds flat if you aren't careful. I have even thought about rehoming the cat, but I am scared of what could happen if something really was wrong with him. I appreciate you being so kind and replying. You are right, anxiety can wreck your life. I have been dealing with OCD and anxiety for years now and I am sure that is what all of this is-it's just rearing it's ugly head again. It always seems to pick on you and the things you love the most. I dearly love my animals,and want what is best for them, it may not appear that way, but I do. There are some days I don't know what I would do without them because a lot of times they are all I have.
was your scratch bad enough to get a tetanus shot? your doc would have suggested it if necessary.
Please don't kill your cat
Please get rid of the couch or at least put it away where he can't get to it and see what he does
Please be aware of this. Many of us on this forum do not get any rabies shots for our INDOOR cats other than the initial kitten shots. we do so because of the long lasting protection of the first vaccine and because some of us have had to deal with injection site cancer.
I think you are freaking over something really not serious. You know what to look for in changes in your cat and unless you see anything everything should be fine.
It wasn't a real bad scratch. It is actually healing already. He scratched me through my shirt, so they weren't terrible, it barely bled. I guess I am going to have to let him come back in all day. He used to do that a lot. He sleeps all day. He has a spot on the back of my other couch he likes and if he's outside he's been known to sleep on the chair on my porch or sometimes he sleeps in my husband's boat-we always get a good laugh when he is in there sleeping. When he is outside I usually know right where he is. I know I'm probably overreacting-I have seen no obvious signs of scratches or bites and in our area if he did tangle with a raccoon or fox and lived I think he would have some pretty obvious signs of injury and I keep trying to tell myself that, but it is so terrifying because this is a wait and see thing and there is a small window for yourself if your were indeed exposed. That and I just feel like everything is contaminated in my house when he does come in and it's terrible. I won't pet him or let him touch me and I have cried so much because I know he is picking up on the fact that something is wrong and it hurts me so much.
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