Rabies has been confirmed in a cat that was at large in Emporia.
Renee Hively, of the Lyon County Health Department, said in a press release that the cat was picked up on April 22 in the 400 block of South Cottonwood after being observed on the Logan Avenue School playground. The cat was picked up by Emporia Police Department.
Testing was ordered of the cat and it was confirmed it had rabies.
“Anyone in direct contact with the rabid cat on that day or any time in the preceding 15 days should contact the Lyon County Health Department to determine if treatment is required,” Hively said. “The cat was described as a yellow and white adult cat that appeared very unhealthy and unsteady, particularly on its hind legs.”
Rabies is deadly and is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. It can be found in the saliva and nervous tissue of sick animals. The most common exposure is a bite from an infected animal. Other types of exposure that are uncommon are scratches or mucous membrane exposure (such as the eyes or inside of the mouth) from an infected animal.
“Exposure from bats is more difficult to determine,” Hively said. “So finding a bat in the bedroom of a sleeping child or waking to find a bat in a bedroom or any known bites or scratches from a bat, are considered exposure.”
Two forms of rabies exist: furious (or vicious) and dumb rabies. The first sign in animals who have furious rabies is change in personality or behavior of the animal. Other signs include refusal to eat or drink, unusual excitability or restlessness, snapping or growling at moving objects and breaking teeth because of excessive chewing on objects. The final symptom is paralysis, followed by death in a few days. In dumb rabies, the animal usually develops a progressive paralysis but the other symptoms are rarely seen.
Hively said if someone is potentially exposed to rabies they should not wait for signs of the disease to seek treatment. By the time signs and symptoms show up, it’s too late and rabies is always fatal.
“There is presently no test available to diagnose rabies in people before signs develop,” Hively said.
Any warm-blooded animal can be infected with rabies. In Kansas, the primary animal is the skunk. Several other animals have been found with rabies including bats, fox, raccoons, cats, dogs and livestock.
Ann Mayo, environmental health manager, said Lyon County has had three confirmed rabid animals in 2008. In January, a skunk near Hartford tested positive and a skunk at the north end of Emporia State University was found two weeks ago also was positive.
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Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is why it's so important to have all your pets vaccinated for rabies. You can just get the rabies shot at the vet and it's not very expensive. It's way cheaper than the series of shots if you think you've been exposed. A friend and her father and brother had to undergo the shots when a sick lamb they had been treating was found to have rabies. VERY unpleasant and expensive, she said. They never learned what kind of rabid animal bit their lamb and infected it. Our cats are vaccinated and tagged even though we live out in the country. It protects us and much as them. So please, take your dogs and cats in to be vaccinated and warn your kids never to touch a strange animal.
Posted by create (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 4:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is very troubling, particularly because so many cats are allowed to just roam. It happens all the time. In my neighborhood, several run free and the dang things help themselves to my garden boxes for their toilet. Disgusting!!! I'm sure they live with the kind of responsible people who don't even provide litter boxes and just let them outdoors every evening. Worse, they have no tags!!!
What good does trapping them do? I've trapped them and called Animal Control. New ones appear. The last time I had a problem and no trap, the A.C. brought a trap but didn't even have a can of cat food to use as bait. I finally bought my own trap, no small price I might add.
I wonder if cats that are picked up by AC are tested for rabies? That sounds expensive. Shall the fines be raised? Alas, people who don't tag their cats very likely don't pay fines either.
Posted by Penny (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 5 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Create, I hope I don't live near you because my cat could probably be one of those who poop in places they shouldn't. He's neutered, a house cat, has 2 litter boxes (one upstairs and one downstairs, wouldn't want him to be inconvenienced). However, he is one of those cats who insists on being outdoors at times. I confess I just don't have the heart to listen to his pitiful cries at the door, not to mention the times he darts out. His outdoor manners are awful! He kills and eats mice, squirrels and baby bunnies. He is a houdini and has slipped every collar I've tried, so even though he has all his shots and we've paid the city for tags, he never keeps them on. Getting rid of him is not an option, he's part of the family.
If I do live near you I apologize for him a thousand times and I might offer you the loan of my dog; she digs up and eats cat poop (sigh)
I got off topic so I might as well apologize for that while I'm at it.
Posted by admireed (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Trap the wandering no tag cats and put them in a pond. If owners do not care, why plague the neighborhood?
Posted by create (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks for the apology, Penny; I hope your cat isn't in my garden too. My own Thomas Justagato is only allowed to sit in the window and look out. He's such a sissy boy, but at least he isn't making a nuisance of himself.
Sure, it must be difficult to listen to the pitiful cries at the door, but that's how he gets you to do his bidding. I know you know that. How about a water gun or squirt bottle? Thomas used to want to zip out the door too, but I kept a squirt bottle at the door just as a gentle reminder. Now, when the door opens he runs into the living room. Just a little bit of conditioning, like Pavlov's dogs.
Posted by LilJHawkFan (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 6:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I called animal control about a cat that was roaming around our house that did not look well. They told me that I had to catch it and bring it in! I don't like cats-so there was no way that I was touching that thing! Anyway, it comes around every once in a while now-I hate to see the poor thing suffer so I will give it food now and then, but why wouldn't they come and get it? Isn't that their job?
Posted by hottopics (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 6:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It is A.C's. job to come and get strays. They try to get the citizens to help them out and bring them in. Im sorry but a sick or dangerous animal is not our responsiblility or putting ourselves in harms way to relieve their call load.
It is our responsibility to report but not to collect and deliver. Not unless it is our decision and ability to do so.
This is no different than all the agressive dogs being allowed to attack and kill other animals and no one is convicting these dogs and making poor animal owners PAY,PAY, PAY!!
Posted by lildarling (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 10:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Based on the above post: admire did you put the puppies in the dumpster?
Posted by dhcc66 (anonymous) on April 26, 2008 at 7:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ok, first of all there is a leash law in town. would be nice of cat and dog owners to obey it. if you choose to let your dog or cat roam and it's picked up, i guess thats the chance you take.
second. why is anybody bashing animal control? from my experiences with them, i call and they are in the area within a reasonable time. i mean come on folks..most of the time it's not like your house is on fire if you see a stray cat wandering through your yard.
and last...i really wanna be invited to hottopics animal court where the dogs are convicted!!! that might just be something to draw tourism back to emporia??
Posted by admireed (anonymous) on April 26, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No I did not. Dumpsters are not ponds.
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