Protecting my kitten against rabies after fighting with feral cats

Question

I live in Pakistan, and we own a three months old Persian breed kitten. It had aggressive interactions with other feral cats who secretly sneaked into our house. I don't think that my cat was injured because I can't see any sign of any injury or bleeding. Moreover, there is no evidence that the cats that attacked my kitten were rabid. Cats fight with each other over places where food is available. However, I still would like to remove any risk of extremely horrible diseases like rabies. I am planning to visit a vet. But, since Pakistan is a third world country, I would like to get some advice from folks out there who live in western countries. I have the following questions:

1. Do cats or other pets also get rabies immunoglobulin just like humans?

2. Since I live in a third world country like Pakistan, how can I make sure that the rabies vaccination is not counterfeit? Is there any other way to find out rather than asking the vet?

3. How many doses of anti-rabies vaccination would my cat get on the first visit to vet?

4. Should one trust government pet hospitals in third world countries like Pakistan?

Answer 1

Let's start with a westerners view of protecting pets from diseases. That means vaccination in the first place. And not only for rabies. And de-worming & anti-lice treatment second. And lastly, neutering / spraying if you don't want to breed with your kitten. Seriously, neutering / spraying is important! But do be aware that you will have to use your own digression on what to spent money on.

This vet.Cornell (University) looks to have a good overview on vaccines. From this list, I think my cats have at least these 3:

• Feline Herpesvirus and Feline Calicivirus
• Rabies
• Feline Leukemia Virus

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Rabies

First of, go to the wikipedia page on rabies. This will tell you a lot on this disease. The WHO has a PDF on Rabies. I could not (easily) find treatment for pets with Rabies. Prevention was mentioned. So for now, if your cat already has it, it's dead. So, let's get it vaccinated.

But you find yourself in Pakistan. The good: you have pet clinics. The bad: you don't seem to trust them.

The best way around that is to ask around, what are the experiences of other people? Are the people running the local pet clinic trustworthy? You probably got your kitten from a breeder, he / she will know a good vet. And the vet will know the dosage needed. Use Google, but be aware that reviews can be spoofed.

Lastly, you might be able to import the vaccines you need. But I could not find a source on that in short order. Amazon does not carry them. And your trust problem remains.

Answer 2

There is just one shot.

You should get the shot for the kitten immediately and then quarantine the kitten in a large box or cage. Arrange it so you can feed the kitten and change litter without touching the kitten. Don't tell the vet about the feral interaction or the vet might want to seize the kitten to murder it.

If the kitten has rabies, it will start acting strangely in 1-2 weeks. In the unlikely event that happens, YOU will need to get shots immediately. If 3 weeks pass and the kitten is still normal, then everything is fine.