I've been on Escitalopram (Lexapro) for a good three months now and I've felt great for all three. Recently, though, it seems like I'm having a bit of a relapse. My anxiety is coming back and honestly the thought of being like that again fills me with dread.
Yesterday my cat, Bubbles, bit me. It wasn't his fault, we were bathing him because he got into some gross stuff and he was just trying to get away. The bite didn't go that deep, there wasn't even enough torn skin for it to bleed. There's just two little pink dots on my hand where his fangs got me.
Now I find myself worried half to death that I'm going to get rabies and die. I know the possibility is low, Bubbles is a domestic indoor cat and he's scratched many times in the past and is not displaying any symptoms of rabies, but still. He's also bitten my mother much harder than he bit me three times. So, theoretically, I should just have to clean it every once in a while and keep an eye on it and I'll be fine, but with my anxiety coming back I can't stop worrying about going rabid.
Can anyone offer me some reassurance? I'm not sure if Bubbles is vaccinated for rabies, but we adopted him from a pet store a good eight or nine years ago and I think I recall a rabies shot being one of the requirements for animals to be put up for adoption...possibly.
I very seriously doubt your cat had rabies if he was an indoors animal. I keep only dogs and they are up to date on their vaccinations, but I'm not sure what it is for a cat.
You are at greater risk for a serious infection, a pet bite is nothing to fool around with. I had two beagles many years ago that were both Alpha males. One day they got into it on the living room floor and I made the mistake of inserting my hand between them to try and break it up. One of them bit right through my ring finger! OUCH!!!! That hurt like you wouldn't believe, with all the nerve endings in your fingers. They both knew how mad I was, because the fight stopped immediately and they both disappeared for hours.
I went to the emergency clinic and got the wound washed out, anti-biotics and a tetanus booster just to play it safe. That's what I would recommend you do. You can ask them about the rabies, but I doubt you are in any real danger. Just keep an eye on your cat and if he doesn't act unusual in the next few days you're probably completely safe.
Wow I thought I was the only person who's experienced rabies hypochrondria. I can 150% Gary tee you you will not develope rabies and I am 99% you do not have. Having had this exact hypochondria in the past I've done extensive research on it and I will give you some tips.
Firstly rabies doesn't developed right away, it takes a minimum 2 weeks (usually 2-3 months) to develop after contraction. Second, your cat would have to be shedding rabies in its saliva to be able to transfer the virus to you and that would only happen at the final stages of the disease. So if your cat is convulsing, drooling uncontrollably, aggressive and obviously very sick then... go to the doc and get the rabies booster shots, but I'm sure your cat is perfectly fine. If your cat develops rabies symptoms within the next couple days, get your shots, if not, you're fine and your cat is fine. Even if your cat did have rabies you would have more than enough time to get your shot.
All that said, I say this with utmost honestly, I'll guarantee you will not develops rabies.
I'm up to date on my tetanus, in fact I just got a new shot this year, so I think I'm safe on that front...I've just been washing it every once in a bit (ahh, puns.) and that seems to be doing alright. It's not inflamed or hot to the touch so I don't think it's infected, but I'm still going to keep an eye on both it and my Bubbles. Thanks for the tip!
Yeah I've had rabies hypochondria off and on for a good couple years because I watch way too many medical shows and one of them had a girl who died of rabies on it, haha.
All that information is super duper helpful, I was really scared to do any research myself because that's how I scare myself into thinking I'm dying. I really appreciate it. Bubbles is fine, he's always been a very docile boy and he doesn't look sick at all. I'll keep an eye on him but nothing screams out at me. I was just worried that maybe cats can carry rabies without showing symptoms, or something equally as terrifying.
Thanks a lot for the reply, It's greatly appreciated!
If you live in the UK or Northern Ireland, there is no Rabies in these States.
We have returned from the Irish Republic, before we went on holiday our dog Pax was given a Rabies Injection even though there is no Rabies in that State, The Injection was given because Rabies injections are required for travel through European States, like Spain and Greece etc. If you travel in the European Union a Pet Passport needs to be given, where an injection of Rabies and other problems are looked into. Before return the pet will need to be examined by a Host Nation Vet to check for various infections, including worms. In Ireland the checking of an animal is not done, on return again a Vet inspection is not done, even though the dog has its own passport
Depending where you are in the UK there has not been a Rabies case for many decades, the European States are envious. The chances of your cat having this problem is very very slight at worse. In the UK.
Your cat has not broken skin the chances here of you getting Rabies will be virtually impossible.