Rabies fear

[Drew1994]

So I’m at my parents house and they have a cat who’s an 8 year old orange male tabby. He loves to sleep on my bed next to me. Sometimes if you pick him up he will get irritated and try to bite you because you disturbed his sleep. Well I picked him up earlier and he was near my face and he started licking my face and then nipped it a bit on my nose. I looked at my nose and I have a small gash from where he bit me. I’m sure he was vaccinated against rabies a few years ago but hasn’t received a booster. I’m scared he has rabies and will get me fatally sick. I haven’t noticed anything unusual from him

[emily67]

can you get the cat the booster?. can you aford to do that at the moment?
also it might be a good idea to see a doctor (even if it's just for them to tell you it's not rabies)

[Drew1994]

Yeah I mean. He wasn’t acting any differently than he normally does. It was a nip not a forceful bite that just left a small little scratch on my nose. I’m not sure if it’s a legitimate concern or if it’s all in my head. I know one of the trademark symptoms of rabies is aversion to water and hydrophobia so I tried giving him some water and he had a little but stuck his nose up to it. I mean i would think a rabid animal would be foaming at the mouth or would want to attack me. Or if it’s paralytic rabies, he would seem very ill. He was just laying on the bed which is what he normally does.

[AntsyVee]

You don’t have rabies. The cat is not rabid.

[Chris 614]

It's pretty far fetched thinking that your parent's cat has rabies. In our state, cats aren't even required to get rabies shots. That's how rare rabies is. Also, a rabies shot In a pet lasts for three or four years, I can't remember which. And, first you said it was a small gash. Then a small scratch. Did it actually break the skin? If he nips, I'm guessing your parents have been nipped before. I've had cats for 35 years...if I put water in front of them and wanted them to drink it right then and there, they would laugh at me...if cats could laugh. Cats aren't known to be very accommodating. You never said if the cat goes outside. NOT that you are at risk because he does. But I would imagine that your parents would have mentioned that the cat was in a scuffle or brought home a dead bat or something. Try not to spend a lot of time worrying about this.

[NervUs]

It is so unlikely that this cat has rabies.

BUt,

If the cat is alive in 10 days, he did not have rabies. If he dies in that period, you can have him tested and still get the shots.

I am sure it won't come to that.