Rabies Vaccine Follow-Up: You Commented, We Responded

32 minutes ago

4 min read

Well... apparently I touched a nerve.

Last week's Cat Talk Radio episode, “My Cat Never Goes Outside — Does It Really Need a Rabies Vaccine?”, generated a lot more conversation than we expected.

There were thoughtful questions. Personal experiences. Strong opinions. Some excellent points. And, yes, a few comments that made us think, Okay... let's go back and check the facts.

And that's exactly what we did.

Because when a topic gets emotional, that's usually when it's most important to separate what we know from what we assume.

Can a rabies vaccine seriously hurt a cat?

Yes, vaccines can cause adverse reactions.

Most reactions are relatively minor, such as temporary lethargy, fever, vomiting, or soreness at the injection site. Severe allergic reactions are much less common. Feline injection-site sarcoma is also a recognized but uncommon complication of injections.

So if someone says, “My cat became sick after a vaccine,” that experience shouldn't simply be dismissed.

But there's an important distinction between:

“My cat became sick after vaccination.”

and

“The vaccine definitely caused my cat's illness.”

The first is an observation. The second requires evidence of causation.

That's true of vaccines, medications, food, supplements—and virtually everything else in medicine.

What about the “mRNA” rabies vaccine?

This came up repeatedly in the comments.

There is, in fact, a newer feline rabies vaccine that uses RNA-particle technology. But that's not the same thing as simply saying it's an “mRNA vaccine” and assuming it's identical to the human COVID vaccines that people may be thinking about.

If you're concerned about what your cat is receiving, ask your veterinarian for the actual product name.

Then you can find out exactly what it is, how it works, how long it's licensed to provide protection, and what potential adverse reactions are reported.

That's a much better approach than relying on a social-media label.

Do mice and rats carry rabies?

This was one of the biggest points of confusion.

Technically, any mammal can become infected with rabies.

But that does not mean every mammal is an important rabies carrier.

In the United States, bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes are among the primary wildlife species associated with rabies.

Small rodents such as house mice and rats are extremely unlikely to be a source of rabies. CDC surveillance has found rabies in rodents to be rare, with the overwhelming majority of reported rodent cases occurring in animals such as groundhogs—not house mice and rats.

So both of these statements are problematic:

“Mice can never get rabies.”

and

“Mice are an important rabies carrier.”

The truth is considerably less dramatic:

Mice and rats are capable of infection, but rabies in these animals is extraordinarily rare.

What about goats and opossums?

Yes, goats can get rabies.

But goats aren't a major rabies reservoir species in the United States.

And while opossums have a reputation for being resistant to rabies, they're not immune.

Rabies in opossums is extremely uncommon.

Once again, there's a difference between:

possible

and

probable.

That's an important distinction when we're evaluating risk.

But my cat is strictly indoors!

And this is where things get interesting.

An indoor cat generally has far less opportunity for exposure than an outdoor cat.

But “less risk” isn't the same thing as “zero risk.”

Cats escape.

Doors get left open.

Screens break.

Wildlife gets into garages and homes.

And bats can occasionally end up inside houses.

Several people commented about finding bats in their homes—and that's a legitimate reason to take rabies exposure seriously. Bat bites can be tiny and difficult to detect.

That doesn't mean your indoor cat is living on the edge of a rabies apocalypse.

It means risk assessment isn't quite as simple as indoor versus outdoor.

Why do cats and big dogs sometimes get the same vaccine volume?

Another excellent question.

Vaccines aren't necessarily dosed according to body weight in the same way that many medications are.

For example, some licensed rabies vaccines specify a fixed volume for both cats and dogs.

That doesn't mean the vaccine manufacturer forgot that a Chihuahua and a Great Dane aren't the same size.

It means the vaccine is formulated and licensed at that dose.

Still curious?

Ask your veterinarian what product they're using and why.

Can a rabies titer replace vaccination?

Not necessarily.

A titer measures antibodies, not “how much vaccine is left in the blood.”

And having antibodies doesn't automatically mean that a jurisdiction will recognize your cat as legally vaccinated.

Medical recommendations and legal requirements are two separate questions.

If you're considering a titer instead of vaccination, talk with your veterinarian and check your local regulations.

Does every state require rabies vaccination?

No.

And that's another place where social-media graphics can be misleading.

Some states have statewide requirements. Some don't. Local counties and municipalities can have their own ordinances.

So if someone tells you:

“Rabies vaccination is required everywhere.”

That's not correct.

If someone tells you:

“Rabies vaccination isn't required anywhere.”

That's not correct either.

The answer is:

Check where you live.

And finally...

Some comments went far beyond questions about vaccination and into claims that rabies isn't real, vaccines are poison, cats are born with rabies, or that veterinarians are simply trying to make money.

Those claims aren't supported by the evidence.

But that doesn't mean you should blindly accept every veterinary recommendation either.

Ask questions.

Ask what vaccine is being used.

Ask how frequently it's needed.

Ask about risks.

Ask about your cat's individual health and lifestyle.

Know your local laws.

And then make an informed decision.

That's really what this entire conversation is about.

Not winning an argument.

Not proving someone is an idiot.