Rabies

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Feral Cats and Rabies

Although not natural vectors of rabies, feral cats can become exposed to the virus by attacks from infected wildlife. Since ferals often live in close proximity to both humans and wildlife, animal control authorities may try to eliminate whole colonies in an ill-conceived effort to control the disease and protect human health. These efforts are bound to fail, as some cats always escape and begin their breeding process again. Even if whole colonies are destroyed, other cats soon move in to fill the vacated territory.(5)
Although killing any suspicious, stray or feral animals has been repeatedly proven ineffective, until effective solutions are applied feral cats remain vulnerable to lethal control programs. 

The best means to protect both feral cats and human health is through widespread implementation of the oral wildlife vaccine. This solution requires legislators, regulatory agencies, wildlife managers, and animal control personnel to become educated about the advantages, effectiveness, and necessity of implementing this safe, ecologically sound, and humane response to the rabies epidemic. Alley Cat Allies advocates a comprehensive non-lethal rabies control program based on three primary initiatives:

1. Implementing widespread oral vaccine immunization barriers for key wildlife vector species, primarily raccoons and skunks.
2. Public education on steps to minimize human risk from wildlife rabies, including vaccinating outdoor cats and dogs.
3. Recognizing and supporting feral cat colony vaccination and management as an effective and important part of a comprehensive rabies control program.

Managing Feral Colonies and Rabies

The most effective means of stabilizing population, controlling rabies, and protecting human health is to sterilize and release healthy, vaccinated cats back into managed sites. These well established supervised colonies effectively occupy territory, remove the cats' need to range in search of food or mates, and actually provide a buffer zone for humans by discouraging wildlife and other stray cats from entering the area.
The second major component is a rabies vaccination for all colony members. In states where it is legally permitted, cats over one year old can be given three-year rabies vaccinations. Ask your veterinarian about the IMRAB rabies vaccine, which may offer better protection. In areas where rabies remains endemic, colony management may require retrapping for periodic booster vaccination. Identifying individual members and actively monitoring colony health are crucial to this enterprise. Finally, pre-exposure rabies vaccinations are absolutely vital for all those who handle feral cats: veterinarians, vet-technicians, animal control officers, and those involved in trapping.

Further measures for colonies in rabies epidemic areas include feeding only during the day and providing only enough food for immediate consumption. This minimizes contact at the feeding station with nocturnal wildlife. Clean up feeding areas before leaving the area, and where practical try to eliminate other nearby food sources that may attract wildlife.

Need For Education

Education represents an essential component of any effective response to the rabies epidemic. Everyone should realize that the wildlife rabies epidemic can be effectively controlled and represents a very minor threat to public health, which can be minimized with a few simple precautions. For further information on rabies and the effectiveness of non-lethal control methods now available, ACA suggests the materials listed below, used in preparing this fact sheet.

Put An End to Ineffective Rabies Control Methods

The National Academy of Sciences stated as long ago as 1973 that: ``Persistent trapping or poisoning as a means to rabies control should be abolished. There is no evidence that these costly and politically attractive programs reduce either wildlife reservoirs or rabies incidence. The money can be better spent on research, vaccination, compensation to stockmen for losses, education, and warning systems.''