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In 2000, 29 cats tested positive for rabies in New York State; 76.3% of all rabid domestic animals. We have had direct experience with rabies on more than one occasion. A student picked up a sick kitten at an apartment complex adjoining a property where I manage the cats. He was bitten. He took the kitten to a veterinarian and left only his first name. The kitten died and subsequently tested positive for rabies. We had to do a media search for the student, who was located and did receive rabies post-exposure treatment. I was contacted by the Health Dept. and was asked not to socialize any new feral kittens from my site for four months. I very much appreciate my cooperative interaction with our local Health Department. A friend who is a wildlife control trapper met me for lunch. He was just coming back from a cat-trapping job. A woman had a feral cats on her property which she fed, but had not vaccinated for rabies. One of the cats died from rabies and she had to have the entire colony euthanized. She was able to trap all but four. My friend got the remaining four for her and decided to discount his fee, because he felt badly for her. At a large trailer park, a free-roaming pet cat died of rabies. It had been handled by many people. The park had a large free-roaming cat population, and the local SPCA had to trap all they could. The cats were held for people to come claim. When a cat was claimed, the owner had to show proof of rabies vaccination. If the cat was not vaccinated, it had to go through the regular quarentine or testing process. Unclaimed cats were euthanized. A nature center with a petting farm had kittens on-site that they planned to vaccinate and neuter. Before they could, a strange cat showed up and was behaving aggressively toward the farm kittens. The kittens were handled by many kids that attended an open house. The strange cat ultimately was captured and determined to have rabies. The kitten had to be euthanized, and the families of all the attending children were contacted. Rabies does exist in cats. In fact, cats are the most common domestic carrier s of rabies. We have great respect for many cat advocacy organizations, but we absolutely are against the tendency to downplay rabies as a threat to cats, the caretakers, and the public. Cats must be vaccinated, and should be boosted as required. I have been involved in projects that captured, vaccinated, and gave yearly boosters to raccoons. If humans can rabies vaccinate raccoons every single year, then caretakers can vaccinate their cats every three. Period. It can be done. Caretakers should seek rabies preexposure vaccinations. Contact your county health department and explain that you socialize feral kittens on a regular basis. If they are unhelpful, contact your personal physician. Preexposure vaccinations are a series of three shots, which cost approximately $110 a shot. Yes, that's expensive. But imagine instead sitting in the hospital, being told you have rabies and are going to die a hideous death, and thinking, gee, that was stupid--$330 could have saved my life. Many caretakers say "I'll wait until I'm bitten, and then I'll let the health insurance pay for it." Post exposure vaccinations are more involved and expensive than preexposure. If your insurance only covers 60-80% of health costs, you will end up paying approximately $350 for your share of the $1100-$2000 post exposure treatment. Now, what did you save? Put pre-exposure vaccinations on your list of "things I really need to have."
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