I think there's RABIES here!!
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| Wed, 03-30-2005 - 12:29am |
Uh, oh, I think we may have a SERIOUS problem in our back yard. There's a black and white stray cat that's been hanging around, and he's suddenly growling at us and showing no fear. There's really no animal control here, so we're going to try to get one of the local cops to come and shoot him and have him examined for rabies.
BUT ... here's what's really bad. My mother -- who lives next door; the garden is shared -- has two semi-ferals who are devoted to her and run like hell from anyone else, and they've never been vaccinated for rabies. I kept TELLING her they needed to be, but she either didn't have the money or couldn't face dealing with them on that long trip to the vet's. The male, Shadow, has been in lots of fights lately, including with the suspect cat. So, assuming the other cat tests positive, is this an automatic death sentence for Shadow? And how about Tiny, the female? SHould we just automatically have them put down and tested immediately, or wait for the results on the other cat?
I don't suppose there's any chance a rabies vaccination AFTER exposure but BEFORE symptoms appear would do any good? I haven't been able to find out.
Penelope

Oh dear, that could be a huge problem.
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How sad.
Penelope,
Don't you live in England? My understanding was that there was very little incidence of rabies in England due to the strict quarantine laws for incoming pets, etc. It is possible none of the cats have rabies. The behavior of the black and white stray may not be due to rabies. Can you give your own vet a call and ask his/her opinion of the situation and what is the best thing to do? Do not rush and have your mother's cats put down. In fact, it would be a shame to have someone shoot the black and white cat if it doesn't have rabies. Do make a call or two to a vet to get advice on what it might be.
There are also probably animal placement groups in your area, maybe not right near you, but you could call or email them for advice or assistance. Please keep us posted.
Cynthia
Okay, thanks everyone for the advice. Donna, I think you may be right about his behaviour just being due to hormones. We've only seen the black and white cat a couple of times today, but he was behaving normally. I'm thinking maybe his growling at us might be more a case of redirected aggression than anything else.
Hopefully, IF we can get the loan of a live trap, he might show up again so we could get him. In the meantime, Shadow is being contained in Mother's back room so she can keep an eye on him. Assuming he continues to do okay over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to try to make sure she gets him the damned shots! Aaargh! Shadow is so relaxed around his beloved Mommy that I think she'd probably be able to get him in a carrier without any problem. Won't be pleasant to make the drive with him, but there's no way we could have the vet come here. He charges $20 more for home visits than for office visits, and then mileage on top of that since we're in another town. There's no WAY she could afford that. :( Maybe one of the vets in the area will agree to waive the office charge if she brings them in and charge for the shot only.
Incidentally, I don't think the black and white is anyone's pet ... he's more of a true feral. Only a few of the cats around here actually have homes. Shadow, on the other hand, was obviously a former house cat. His original owners not only threw him out (probably when he reached puberty), but abused him pretty badly.
Keep your fingers crossed this all works out!
Penelope
Whew -- thanks for the good news. It looks like the black and white cat isn't rabid after all, but it's nice to know that Shadow isn't necessarily condemned either way. That's a relief!
Penelope
Nope, I haven't lived in England since the age of seven. I'm presently located in Texas, where there IS a significant occurrence of rabies. Especially since there are a LOT of skunks around. Not including the suspect black and white cat, in the last ten or fifteen years we've had two rabid cats show up on our property (not our cats, mind you!). So it's been an ever-present threat, especially since Tiny and Shadow took up residence here.
Penelope