What should you know about cat bite rabies?

Rabies is a serious infection that can spread through saliva from an infected mammal, usually through a bite or saliva contacting broken skin. A bite from a healthy, observable domestic cat may be assessed differently from a bite by a stray, unavailable, ill, or unusually behaving animal. You cannot confirm rabies from the appearance of the wound alone.

Rinse and wash the wound thoroughly with running water and soap, then cover it with a clean dressing. Do not seal a deep puncture yourself or apply irritating chemicals. Record when and where the bite happened, whether the cat is known, and whether its vaccination or observation information is available. Contact urgent care promptly for a rabies exposure assessment; post-exposure treatment is time-sensitive and may include wound care, vaccination, and other medicines depending on the exposure.

Seek urgent medical care after any bite that breaks the skin, especially on the face, hand, or near a joint, or when the cat is stray, missing, sick, or behaving unusually. Go immediately for heavy bleeding, a deep wound, numbness, trouble moving the area, fever, increasing redness, swelling, warmth, or pus. Do not wait for symptoms of rabies; urgent assessment is needed before symptoms develop.

Ask whether you need rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, whether the animal can be safely observed, and which signs of wound infection should prompt review. Ask how to check your tetanus protection and whether antibiotics are appropriate for the bite.