Rabies is a disease related to the central nervous system. The rabies virus is transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals. There are three stages ― the prodromal stage, the furious stage, and the paralytic stage. One point to mention here is that if your cat is bitten or scratched by a rabid animal, infection symptoms will not appear immediately, because the virus also has an incubation period ― it takes two weeks or even up to five weeks to spread and invade cells in the host's body before symptoms appear.

Twelve symptoms that occur when infected with rabies:

① Poor coordination of limbs. This symptom is the earliest sign of rabies. If you find your pet frequently bumping into surrounding objects for no apparent reason, you need to be alert and it’s best to take them to a veterinary hospital for examination promptly.

② Frequent howling. Animals infected with rabies will have significant changes in their voice early on, indicating abnormal health conditions at this time.

③ Conjunctivitis. If you notice your cat's eyes turning red and swollen, it may have conjunctivitis.

④ Excessive drooling. Pets with rabies will produce a lot of saliva and constantly drool.

⑤ Hyperactivity and agitation. Cats infected with rabies easily become restless and irritable. They also lose interest in activities they usually enjoy. This indicates the cat has entered the second stage of rabies ― the furious phase, which is characterized by typical symptoms. Cats become very wild and enjoy damaging nearby objects more than before ― biting, scratching, knocking things over.

⑥ Strange behavior. Cats may act aggressively without reason or eat unusual things.

⑦ Elevated body temperature. If your cat suddenly has a high fever, this may be caused by internal inflammation or could be a sign of rabies. So this symptom needs to be analyzed in conjunction with the above conditions.

⑧ Vomiting. This symptom is relatively common and can be caused by various factors ― parasites in the stomach, pregnancy, poor digestion, etc. Rabies may also cause vomiting in cats.

⑨ Loss of appetite. If your cat shows no interest in food placed in front of it and does not even want to touch it, this is a very worrying sign. This may be due to lack of appetite or muscle stiffness in the cat's face. It indicates rabies has reached the final stage.

⑩ Weight loss. This symptom appears alongside loss of appetite.

11 Heavy breathing. This happens due to localized paralysis in the respiratory system.

Rabies is very deadly and causes a series of complications. Early prevention and treatment can still cure rabies.