Feline Rabies Symptoms

Cats tend to develop symptoms and progress through the stages of rabies more quickly than humans or dogs. Incubation typically lasts just 2 to 6 weeks and cats can display many of the strange behaviors for which the disease is known.  The three phases of the disease are:

The Prodromal phase

This phase is more pronounced in cats than in dogs and causes an animal to act generally unusual. A friendly cat may become frightened of people or aggressive, whereas a typically unsociable cat may become strangely affectionate. Cats infected by a bite will lick the wound constantly and may develop a fever. The prodromal phase tends to last about 2 days.

The Furious phase

This phase is probably most commonly associated with the notion of a “rabid animal”. Cats are more likely than dogs to develop furious rabies and show signs such as loud roaring, biting objects in the home and racing into walls due to uncoordinated movements of the rear legs. An infected cat may appear restless, confused and hypersensitive to sounds and movements. Death can occur during this period as the animal is disoriented and prone to seizures. This phase occurs from 2 to 4 days from the onset of the first symptoms.

The Paralytic phase

The final stage of rabies, the paralytic phase,  manifests the loss of muscle function which will eventually cause most infected animals to die. Approximatly 2 to 4 days from the appearence of symptoms, the cat experiences nerve problems beginning in the head and throat area.  The animal is unable to swallow and may produce large quantities of saliva which is capable of transmitting the virus. The cat becomes unable to control the jaw, tongue, and diaphragm which leads to death by asphyxiation.