Can I get rabies from my vaccinated cat after a stray scratched it?

The good news is that rabies is transmitted through bites/saliva and not scratches. If Ming was infected and shedding the rabies virus a month ago, then he would have died from the disease by now. Considering all of this, I think you should be safe, but it's best to consult with your physician if you have any further concerns. Below is a link to more information about rabies. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html I hope that helps and all is well.

Unfortunately, that would be a question for your physician since we are unqualified to comment on problems with people. It sounds like you went to the ER and they determined that there was no need for post-exposure prophylaxis. You could double check with the public health department in your area to make sure. I would think that it would be very unlikely that your cat would have clawed the bat in the mouth and then immediately clawed you to transmit rabies. In the future, keep in mind that a bat can be tested for rabies if there is concern about exposure to people.

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.

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.

Hi there! Without confirmation of rabies infection by very specific testing it is impossible to know with certainty if an animal or person has contracted the virus. With that said, rabies infection must be always be considered when an animal comes in contact with any unvaccinated/unknown or wild animal, especially if said animal is showing neurological signs. Signs of infection typically do not occur until 5 days post initial infection. Rabies is transmitted through saliva/bites, ingestion of an infected animal, urine, and through an infected mothers milk. While it does not sound like there was any penetrating wounds, I highly recommend that you contact your regular veterinarian as soon as possible to discuss how to proceed, as the laws regarding handling potential rabies cases vary from state to state. If Scarlett is up-to-date on her rabies vaccine she may need to receive another rabies vaccine and/or be quarantined for a period of time as a precaution. Remember that people can also become infected with rabies, therefore be sure that you limiting your contact with Scarlett as well as the stray cat until you speak with your regular vet and discuss a plan moving forward.

There's never anything wrong for seeking reassurance, particularly with something as serious as rabies. Rabies is transmitted through saliva, so scratches are not a major concern with respect to rabies transmission. That said, it's never wrong to take extra precautions to quarantine for 10 days. The reason the quarantine is 10 days long is that if an animal is infected with rabies and is actively secreting the virus through its saliva, it would be severely neurologically impaired or dead by the end of the 10 day period. At this point, both you and the kitten are in the clear!

I am so sorry for the loss of your poor kitty. Her symptoms don't suggest she got infected with Rabies, but instead I suspect she was having a severe anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine, especially since her symptoms started within 24 hrs of her immunizations. The Rabies vaccine is NOT a live virus, so pets can't get rabies from the vaccine. Also even if a pet has a particular vaccine in the past, this does not mean they can't have a reaction in the future unfortunately. Also since the Rabies vaccine has clinically been shown to last a bit longer than the 1 year mark, your pet was likely still protected. Again I am sorry your pet was not able to recover from this sudden turn of events. I send my condolences to you and your family through this difficult time. And unless Scruff was exposed to a rabid animal within 10 days of being symptomatic, then rabies transmission is very unlikely, unless there is more to the story than what you have mentioned here. Feel free to request a private consultation if you need to discuss things further. Best wishes and take care.