My indoor cat snuck out, fought. Is he safe from rabies after vaccine?

I think the likelihood of you acquiring rabies is relatively low, however it is much higher for Tomas. I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to have his rabies vaccine updated and to discuss a quarantine period if needed. Even if Tomas has been exposed to rabies he would not be able to shed the virus for at least a few weeks.

I do recommend it. There are cases where a bat infected with rabies has gotten into the house, and the cat inside has ended up with rabies. In addition, what if Oliver accidentally got out? He could get rabies then if he encountered an anima with it. To be safe, yes. You can get certain brands of rabies vaccines once every three years. Discuss this with his vet.

Hi there. I generally still recommend vaccinating indoor-only cats for rabies, since there's always the possibility that a bat or other animal could get into the house. Since rabies is a fatal disease that can also be spread to humans, it's best not to take any chances. Giving the rabies vaccine is safe, and will not reduce your kitten's lifespan.

I would call your vet and ask about this specifically. If she has not yet had a rabies vaccine, she should receive one, and it would also be advisable to keep her inside away from other animals and with only 1 person interacting with her for a period of 10 days as a "quarantine," as a precaution. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Since he is six years old an presumably has been kept current on his vaccinations he should have plenty of built-in immunity to tide him over. It is possible to have a titer blood test done to see if he even needs to have a booster, but the drawback to this is that the blood test sometimes costs more than simply doing the vaccinations and it does no harm to give the vaccination.

Rabies can only be contracted by being bit by animal that is shedding the virus. The biggest concern for indoor only cats is if a bat has gotten into the house because we do not always know if that bat has bitten a cat. If Bonnie is not vaccinated for Rabies, then she may need to be quarantined for a period of time (usually 10 days) to make sure that she does not develop any signs of Rabies. That quarantine may be able to be in your house if you don't have any other animals or may need to be at a vet clinic or shelter. I would recommend contacting your veterinarian to discuss the specific legal requirements in your area. Depending on your state, she may not be able to be vaccinated for Rabies until after her quarantine period. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answers your questions. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Oh no! That is very frustrating to not be told the truth, but it is a good thing you know now. It is a little difficult to assess risk if it is uncertain if your kitten was raised by its mother. If so, and she was vaccinated, she could have passed some maternal antibodies on to your kitty. The biggest risk for kittens is through exposure to other cats. If your kitty is an indoor kitty with no other contact with other cats this significantly decreases his risk. What is most important now is to start his vaccinations with your vet, to have him tested for the kitty viruses (feline leukemia and FIV), and to have him checked for intestinal parasites (if not already performed/dewormer given). Just because he is older does not mean he can not get his vaccines, he will just need less vaccines than a younger kittens. Typically we vaccinate with FVRCP (for kitty upper respiratory viruses and panleukopenia) and rabies. If your kitty will eventually be going outside then vaccination for feline leukemia (after a negative test) is important. Your family vet can set up a schedule for Chase at his first visit. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!