Many associate human rabies infections with infected domestic dogs. Yet, like most mammals, cats can also pass this deadly viral disease on to people. That is why pet owners should ensure that their feline pets receive regular rabies vaccinations, according to Professor Claude Sabeta of the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria (UP).

“While very few cases of rabies in cats are reported annually in South Africa, it’s important that the public stay informed and educated about the disease, as it is an emerging issue worldwide, particularly in Asia and South America,” he says.

Prof Sabeta studies factors and patterns that influence the spread of rabies and its associated virus strains in different host species. He recently co-authored an article on rabies in cats as an emerging public health issue in the journal Viruses, along with colleagues from Canada, the World Health Organisation in India, the World Organisation for Animal Health in Botswana, Italy, Brazil, Colombia and the US. After scouring publicly available regional and country-specific surveillance databases, their study showed that cat-related rabies cases have occurred on all inhabited continents.

Viruses associated with the disease are excreted in the saliva of animals. The disease, which attacks the central nervous system, is generally fatal if clinical signs appear. Most cases of humans contracting rabies result from a person being bitten by an infected, unvaccinated dog.

Dog populations serve as reservoirs for different forms of rabies viruses, which can lie dormant for up to six months to a year. Targeted vaccination programmes are part of global efforts to eliminate canine rabies.

Rabies in cats

Prof Sabeta explains that while there are dog-specific rabies viruses, there are no feline-specific ones. Rabies in cats is caused by different rabies-like lyssavirus variants, which are region specific. Cats generally get infected when bitten by bats, rabid dogs and jackals that carry lyssaviruses. As such, experts typically refer to cats as “incidental hosts” of rabies-like viruses, rather than “reservoirs”, and prefer talking about “rabies in cats” rather than “cat rabies”.

Current veterinary vaccines provide safe and effective immunity in cats against most but not all lyssaviruses.

“Certain behaviours – in particular bat predation, the propensity for cat owners to permit unsupervised outdoor access, and the growing population of owned and unowned cats unlikely to be vaccinated against rabies – increase the likelihood of infection from rabid bats,” Prof Sabeta and his fellow experts noted in the Viruses paper.

They advocate for the continuous vaccination of all domestic dogs and cats against rabies to mitigate the associated public health risks.

“Rabies in cats will continue to occur while there are unvaccinated, unsupervised cats in rabies enzootic areas,” the authors note. “Strengthening surveillance of rabies in cats is crucial not only for understanding the transmission dynamics within the animal populations, but also for assessing the potential spillover of rabies viruses from dogs and wildlife to cats. This proactive approach can save lives, both human and feline, and contribute to the overall control, prevention and elimination of rabies. A proactive approach can save lives, both human and feline, and contribute to the overall control, prevention and elimination of rabies.”

Between 1983 and 2018, only 13 cases (or 2,8%) of people in South Africa with rabies involved domestic cats. Most of these cases were recorded in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, the Free State and Limpopo provinces – areas in which dog rabies are more commonly seen. 

In South Africa, most rabies cases are seen among dogs. Of the tally of rabid animals reported between 1993 and 2019, only 3,2% were cats. The official number could be on the low side, Prof Sabeta notes, as rabid cats tend to stay away from humans, leaving potential cases going unreported.

He says that although few cases of rabies in cats have been reported in South Africa over the years, the public should be aware of its possibility. Pet owners should report any unusual behaviour (such as uncharacteristic aggression) in cats to their veterinarian.

“We have very good vaccines available against rabies,” Prof Sabeta says. “Remember that cats, like dogs, can transmit rabies to humans.”

Like dogs, infected cats excrete the rabies virus in their saliva for several days before symptoms kick in. A bite or scratch from a cat can leave deep puncture wounds, through which the virus can enter a person’s bloodstream.

Click on the infographic in the sidebar to explore more about possible symptoms of rabies in cats.