I have a very friendly and affectionate 4-Mo kitten who has been pretty sick for a week. Lethargic, diarrhea, not eating. Put him in a kennel today to drive him to my apartment so I can take him to the vet tomorrow. He was quite distressed to be in the kennel and either scratched or bit my finger as I was holding the kennel steady while driving. I can’t tell. Barely broke the skin and I went home and washed it w soap and water and scrubbed w an alcohol wipe. He had one other episode of agitation once I brought him back to my place, but is otherwise his usual friendly purring self (of course still with the other symptoms of illness mentioned above).
I am hesitant to tell the vet at his appt tomorrow bc where I live there is a mandatory 10-day quarantine for animals who have bitten a person (Texas). The quarantine must be paid for by the owner of the animal. I don’t have a lot of money... barely enough to even take the cat to the vet. I’m already stressing about how much that will cost. Also the cost of the rabies treatment if I have to get that. Is it better not to disclose the bite/scratch and wait to see if he develops other rabies symptoms? He had already been sick for 7 days, but no behavior changes (beyond the lethargy) except the agitation in the crate. It could be so many other things. I wasn’t worried about rabies and didn’t even think of it til he bit/scratched me. Now I’m freaking out!
I am hesitant to tell the vet at his appt tomorrow bc where I live there is a mandatory 10-day quarantine for animals who have bitten a person (Texas). The quarantine must be paid for by the owner of the animal. I don’t have a lot of money... barely enough to even take the cat to the vet. I’m already stressing about how much that will cost. Also the cost of the rabies treatment if I have to get that. Is it better not to disclose the bite/scratch and wait to see if he develops other rabies symptoms? He had already been sick for 7 days, but no behavior changes (beyond the lethargy) except the agitation in the crate. It could be so many other things. I wasn’t worried about rabies and didn’t even think of it til he bit/scratched me. Now I’m freaking out!
