I pet a stray cat last night, now I'm all paranoid about rabies

[Coventina]

The cat seemed really warm, and had a warm dry nose. Of course, it was 115 degrees yesterday, and still in the upper 90s when I pet the cat.

It was really friendly and really skinny.

I was walking my dog at the time, but she didn't have any contact with the cat. The cat didn't bit or scratch me or anything. I'm trying to remember if I washed my hands after I came in. I can't remember now.

So if I die of rabies in a month, you'll know why.

[Eurobabe]

1. I don't think you get rabies unless an infected animal

bites you and punctures the skin.

[Mizmoon]

2. Did it bite you

or drool into a large, open wound on your body?

I think you'll be fine. :)

[Coventina]

7. No, but I've just been on the CDC's rabies site & it's kind of creepy

It gives the most recent 10 case histories of people who have died of rabies, and a surprising amount of them are mysteries of how they became infected. Making me wonder if it's more easily transmitted than thought.

[XanaDUer]

3. ?

Will I need a rabies shot?
Probably not. Rabies is uncommon in dogs and cats in the United States. If a dog or cat that bit you appeared to be healthy at the time of the bite, it's unlikely that the animal had rabies. However, it's a good idea to take some precautions if you're bitten by a dog or cat.


http://familydoctor.org/203.xml

[Shell Beau]

4. I am pretty sure you can't get it if it didn't bite or scratch you.

Plus most rabid cats wouldn't allow you to pet it without doing either.

[sui generis]

5. you crazy

you can't get rabies from petting a docile cat :hi:

The cat was probably dehydrated, as you noticed.

Rabies causes lesions in the brain which lead to bizarre and aggressive behaviors - animals that normally hide become aggressive, animals that are normally friendly become paranoid and aggressive and confused.

If the cat was acting fairly normal, all other factors aside, it most likely did not have rabies.

[bicentennial_baby]

6. Um, it has to bite you

or transmit saliva in some way for you to get rabies. no worries.

[ET Awful]

8. Worrying about getting rabies from petting a cat is like worrying about

getting AIDS by shaking hands with someone that's HIV positive.

It ain't gonna happen, stop worrying.

[Coventina]

10. Thanks, that's a reassuring thought.

I don't know why I started worrying about it.

[Spinzonner]

9. Watch out for a catnip craving

[RedCloud]

11. Not to worry, most likely you didn't give the cat rabies...

But your concern is duly noted.