Rabies

Rabies is one of the oldest and most feared diseases known to humanity, and although it is now rare in well-vaccinated pet populations, it remains almost uniformly fatal once symptoms develop. The disease is caused by a lyssavirus that targets the central nervous system. After entering the body — almost always through the bite of an infected animal — the virus slowly travels along the nerves toward the brain. This journey can take weeks to months, which is why an exposed cat may appear perfectly healthy for a long incubation period before any signs emerge.

Once the virus reaches the brain, the disease progresses through recognisable stages. The early (prodromal) phase brings subtle changes in temperament: a normally aloof cat may become unusually affectionate, or a friendly cat may grow withdrawn and irritable. This is often followed by the classic 'furious' phase — restlessness, aggression, biting and attacking, disorientation, and the hypersalivation that produces the 'foaming at the mouth' image associated with rabies. A 'dumb' or paralytic phase frequently follows, with paralysis of the throat and jaw muscles preventing swallowing, progressing to generalised paralysis, coma, and death, usually within a few days of the first signs.

Because rabies is a zoonosis — transmissible to humans and other mammals — it is a matter of public health and not merely animal welfare. There is no way to test a living animal definitively, and no cure once signs appear, so suspected cases are managed under strict legal protocols. This is precisely why prevention is everything: the rabies vaccine is extraordinarily effective, widely available, and in many places legally mandated. Keeping your cat's vaccination current, limiting unsupervised outdoor access, and treating every bite from a wild or unknown animal as an emergency are the simple measures that keep this ancient killer at bay.