Sandie? HELP?

[hissy]

One of my wildest ferals this morning caught something while I was out with the horse. It took some doing, a lot of snarling and some deep scratches before I got it away from him, and it turns out to be a bat.

How worried should I be for rabies? It is a fruit bat, just a baby, but should I take it in and have it tested? Cleo is still so wild that he is the only cat out of the team that does not get regular vet visits and is ironically, the healthiest of all the cats. I checked and there has not been a reported case of rabies in Oregon for 25 years.......so I bow to your wisdom in this. Thanks!

 

[sandie]

Well, usually I would say not to worry at all and just leave it. However, if the cat has not had a definate rabies, I would try and get him and put him in "quarantine" area. If you can, I would get the bat tested just incase. I get Rabies reports from the Tri-states(I know it's not Oregon) but 95% of the Rabies positive are bats. I wouldnt want any of your other ferals to get Rabies or watch this guy suffer a horrible death. You also need to take caution even when handeling the bat. In most cases they even start the Rabies series just for handeling an untested unrecovered bat. I am sorry, I just worry about you, Mike and the cats.

 

[imagyne]

Hissy,

According to The New Mexico State Parks teaching guide, less than 1/2 or 1% of bats in the US carry rabies. So, the chances that the bat your kitty played with having rabies is very slim...


Ken

 

[sandie]

You can see the data here

http://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/acd/rabies/home.htm

 

[hissy]

The bat is in a coffee can in the freezer right now, I will take it to OSU tomorrow morning to the diagnostic lab to be tested. I will have the results by 4:00 tomorrow. One in 10 bats in Oregon test postitive for rabies. As far as quarantining Cleo, I can't even find him right now, he is pretty much always isolated from the other cats, that has just been his lifestyle for 12 years. I will let you know, and thanks again