Q: How could my cat get rabies?

Answer: Rabies is generally transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, by virus particles in the salvia of the animal being implanted in the bite wound. Other routes of infection are possible but much less common; for example infective saliva can inter through a scratch or an existing skin wound, or droplets of saliva may be inhaled. An animal may even eat the carcass of a rabies victim. In countries where rabies is established (enzootic) in the wildlife, cats almost always become infected by bites from rabid animals such as foxes, skunks, or bats. The incubation period in the cat is available and may be very long (four month or more), though on average clinical signs of rabies appear about three weeks after the infective bite. The signs are due to the virus damaging the nervous system, for example, producing encephalitis.