Rabies is a well-known infectious disease that, according to the level of threat to life, can be equated with such dangerous pathologies as tetanus, human immunodeficiency virus, and oncology. The virus is most often transmitted to humans as a result of a bite from a sick pet. Among stray animals, rabies is extremely common. In cats, it is more common than in dogs.
How is the disease manifested in furry pets? How to identify a problem? Is it possible to safely cure a pet of a dangerous infection? What threatens a person with contact with a sick animal? What to do to prevent rabies? I would like to consider the answers to these and other questions later in our article.
General information
Rabies is a deadly disease of a viral nature, the causative agent of which is capable of affecting the body of mammals, including cats. The consequence of infection is the development of specific encephalitis. Rabies virus can remain viable in the bodies of dead animals for weeks. The infection is destroyed when exposed to temperatures of more than 100 ° C. Freezing does not have a destructive effect on the virus. At the same time, the infection can be destroyed thanks to the action of formalin, alkali and phenols.
The main distributors of rabies virus are predominantly wild animals. Most often, foxes, bats, wolves, hedgehogs, raccoons, various rodents are affected by the disease. However, in urban conditions, street cats and dogs become the main carriers of infection.
Infection mechanism
Rabies in cats and dogs develops according to the following principle. A pet is infected with the virus through the bite of a stray or wild animal. Contact with the saliva of an infected creature also leads to this outcome. Sometimes rabies in cats is manifested after eating sick rodents, the absorption of all kinds of carrion.
Once in the body of a healthy animal, the viral pathogen infects nerve fibers. In this case, the infection does not enter the bloodstream, which explains the low incubation rate of the disease. The purpose of the virus is a systematic advancement to the brain. Then the infection affects the glands that are responsible for the production of saliva. Then, the virus actively propagates in the body fluids of a cat. During this incubation period, the pet does not pose a danger to others, being temporarily not contagious.
Rabies in cats, as a rule, makes itself felt by the passage of a week from the moment of infection. In some cases, the process of incubation of the virus in the body of the animal takes many months. Much here depends on how far from the brain the area on the pet’s body is located, which has become the gateway for infection.
Classic rabies form
How is rabies manifested in cats if the disease develops in a classic form? The defeat of the body by a viral infection develops in several stages. Initially, an increase in the body temperature of the animal is noted. The pet suffers from hypersensitivity during touch. The animal discomfort causes noise and light. Then, the appearance of a perverse appetite effect is observed. Inadequate behavior manifests itself in the desire to absorb inedible things. The cat becomes fearful, hiding from the owner. As a rule, such changes are observed over several days.
Next comes the stage of excitation. The first signs of rabies in a cat are replaced by excessive aggressiveness, confusion, loss of orientation in space. Against the background of these problems, muscle paralysis develops, convulsive conditions occur. The pet has difficulty swallowing food and secretes an abundance of saliva from his mouth. Such phenomena are accompanied by frequent bowel movements, intermittent breathing. The development of such symptoms reaches its peak about 5-6th day after infection.
The final stage of rabies in cats, when the disease proceeds in a classic form, is the onset of depressive phenomena. The increased excitability is replaced by deep fatigue. The animal practically does not respond to external stimuli. Ultimately, a fatal outcome occurs as a result of lung failure and a decline in the activity of the heart muscle.
Atypical form
The disease develops in animals in the presented form is extremely rare. In this case, the ailment has a sluggish character. How is the atypical form of rabies in cats expressed? The first signs are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. For this reason, pet owners may mistake the infection for common food poisoning.
Constant diarrhea and the urge to vomit gradually deplete the cat's body. Blood clots occur in bowel movements. The animal loses interest in the environment and becomes lethargic. The above symptoms and signs of rabies in a cat develop into muscle atrophy. The pet loses its ability not only to move, but also to absorb food.
Light form
If the disease is mild, the cat does not experience significant neurological problems characteristic of the above clinical cases. The only thing that may disturb the pet owner is the excessive desire of the animal for close contact, as well as the obsessive manifestation of affection. Such inappropriate pet behavior is due to the gradual damage to the nerve tissue of the brain.
The first sign of rabies in a cat in this case is the development of paralysis of the lower jaw, which leads to copious discharge of saliva from the oral cavity. Outwardly, everything looks as if the pet is constantly trying to get rid of a foreign object stuck in the throat. What is the danger of a symptom? Rabies from a cat can be transmitted to humans. After all, the owners of the animal often try to help the pet free itself from the intended object in the mouth. Thus, a bite occurs, and a viral infection finds a new host.
Transmission of the virus from animal to human
What is the danger to humans of rabies in cats? Symptoms of infection are characterized by the following:
- An infected host of a sick animal begins to suffer from itching and notes a strong reddening of the skin in the bite area.
- There is a deterioration in overall health, fever develops.
- Neurological signs appear, in particular excessive carelessness in behavior or timidity.
- As in an animal, saliva is intensively secreted, breathing disorders make themselves felt.
- Visions, hallucinations, attacks of unjustified aggression arise.
- The above signs of rabies after a cat bite develop into muscle paralysis.
- In the absence of timely diagnosis and adequate treatment, everything ends in death.
What to do if a sick cat bites?
To prevent infection with rabies in contact with an infected animal, a person needs to immediately disinfect the wound and seek help from doctors. Further tactics are determined by the doctor. Detecting the virus before the onset of symptoms appears to be a daunting task. Therefore, the victim is prescribed a course of antibiotics in the form of injections. Also, immunoglobulins are introduced into the human body, which slow down the activity of the protein structures of the viral infection.
Priority actions for suspected infection of an animal
Having noticed the symptoms and signs of rabies in a cat, the owner must immediately protect the pet from others. So that the animal does not bite or scratch anyone, it is recommended to close it in a separate room.
Next, you need to call a veterinarian. It is advisable to describe to the doctor the first signs of how rabies manifested in a cat. Final conclusions on the nature of the problem should not be made independently. Indeed, in fact, the nuisance may lie in the presence of other diseases in the pet that can be successfully eliminated. For example, rabies has some similar symptoms with ailments such as:
- toxoplasmosis;
- Aujeszky's disease;
- peritonitis;
- spongiform encephalopathy.
In some cases, the problem may be vitamin deficiency. Often, foreign objects really get stuck in the throat of animals, which are difficult to see the owner of the pet. At the same time, a symptom of rabies in a cat is a real danger to humans when paralysis of the lower jaw is observed. Often, the appearance of the sign indicates precisely the infection of the pet's body with a dangerous virus.
When calling the veterinarian, the owner of the animal must be aware that the doctor will be required to immediately take quite radical action. Knowing the first signs of how rabies is manifested in cats, the medic will quarantine the pet. Tests for detecting the virus in this situation are not carried out. After all, there is a high risk of infection of laboratory assistants. In captivity, the animal will spend about a month. If the cat does not die, and the symptoms characteristic of the viral infection begin to recede, the doctor will be able to proceed with the diagnosis aimed at establishing other causes of the problem.
Diagnostics
Today, research methods are available that make it possible to detect rabies infection in a sick animal. However, most known solutions do not allow guaranteed confirmation or refutation of the diagnosis. Therefore, with suspected infection with the virus, veterinarians prefer to refuse special tests.
An exact conclusion can be made only after the death of a sick pet. For these purposes, they resort to the study of brain tissue for the presence of the virus. With rabies, specific cells are found in the cells that should not be present in the brain of a healthy cat. If the assumption is correct, the animal is subject to cremation. After all, the infection is able to remain active in dead tissues for a long time.
Prevention
So we found out whether a cat can get rabies and in what ways infection occurs. Now let's figure out how to prevent the occurrence of a problem? The optimal preventive solution is vaccination of a pet. The owner of the animal does not have to spend money on vaccination. An appropriate injection can be done at a state veterinary clinic for free. Vaccination of animals against rabies is a mandatory program throughout our country. According to the current legislation, it is forbidden to travel or go abroad with pets who have not been vaccinated. Moreover, it is unacceptable to breed such cats and to participate in exhibitions.
Preventive rabies vaccination is usually used when kittens are no more than 3 months old. Adult pets need injections every year. Before the procedure, the animal’s body gets rid of parasites using potent anti-helminth agents. Rabies vaccinations are not recommended for weakened, pregnant or sick cats.
Another preventive solution is keeping the pet in complete isolation from the outside world. However, it is impossible to completely exclude the possibility of accidental contact of a pet with other animals. Sooner or later, the cat will still run out onto the landing or will end up on the street.
Is there a cure for rabies?
Unfortunately, effective solutions for eliminating a deadly viral infection in the body of cats and other pets are still unknown. In the presence of pronounced symptoms of rabies, sick animals must be euthanized. The corpses of such pets are burned.
Hosts who understand how rabies show in cats and how dangerous the infection is are not recommended to resist the above measures. In particular, you should not try to calm an aggressive animal and establish any contacts with it. If the signs of the disease are already severe, pets rarely exhibit adequate behavior. Often, infected cats become uncontrollable. Therefore, the only way out is the euthanasia of such animals.
Finally
Rabies poses a real threat to both pets and their owners. According to sad statistics, every year a viral infection kills more than 50,000 people around the world. Given the above, do not ignore the first signs of a disease in a cat. It is also not recommended to refuse vaccination of the animal. After all, rabies infection occurs much more often than most people assume. Outbreaks of infection are regularly recorded in large cities. Moreover, the lack of contact of a domestic cat with stray animals does not guarantee absolute safety to the pet.