Recently someone living in a neighborhood near UNC-A found a cat
that appeared to be lost. They took the cat in from the cold; a
simple, compassionate gesture that many animal lovers may relate
to. Unfortunately, the cat later became ill and had to be
euthanized. Last week test results revealed that the cat had
been infected with rabies. Here is what we know: The cat
received an injury from an unknown animal about a week before
becoming ill. Many well-intentioned individuals leave food
outdoors for cats. Because they roam outdoors, these cats can
easily come into contact with other wild animals which can
transmit rabies to the cat and potentially be further spread to
other cats or pets. As a result of this one cat being taken in,
6 people are receiving post-exposure rabies vaccines to prevent
infection, including 5 employees of the pet clinic where the
sick cat was taken. This is done as a precaution because if
contracted, rabies is fatal for humans. “The Buncombe County
Department of Health is working closel