Rabies

[Bridges36]

My neighbor's cat was missing for 5 days. When I saw him at the edge of our yard I went over and picked him up without thinking. I handled him pretty extensively before finding out that our neighbors were not home, and letting him go. He scratched me with his claw and broke the skin on my arm when I picked him up, and I ran my fingers around the inside of his collar to check his tag. I had several scratches on my own hands from working around the house.

My neighbor later told me that the cat had been bitten on the neck by something and also had a bunch of scratches and/or bites over it's body. My question is - is it possible that whatever bit him had the rabies virus and could it have been transmitted to me thru the saliva left on the bites by the other animal? I am very worried about this.

She said her cat has had it's shots, but I"m concerned about the health of whatever animal he tussled with and whether it's possible to get rabies that way.

[Daveyo]

if the cat was already vaccinated against rabies, then your OK. In order for you to get Rabies it has to come from a Rabid animal and usually those are the ones that are not vaccinated.

have beer and enjoy life.

Daveyo