A rabid cat attacked its owner after contracting the disease from a wild animal, health officials in North Carolina said. The cat is believed to have contracted rabies from an “unknown wild animal” during the week of Nov. 2 in the “south central portion” of Brunswick County, according to a Nov. 14 news release from Brunswick County Health Services. “The cat was injured, became ill and later attacked its owner,” the statement said. “The cat was taken to a vet where it was euthanized and tested positive for rabies.” The cat’s owner is being treated, according to the health department. No further information was provided about the owner. The cat was not up to date on its rabies vaccinations, as required by state law, according to the health department. All dogs, cats and ferrets should be up to date on their rabies vaccinations by the time they are four months old. Cases of rabies are rare among pets due to the prevalence of rabies vaccines, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Outbreaks among humans are also rare, and rabies-related deaths in the U.S. average about one or two a year, according to the agency. There were about 15 cases of rabies in cats and 20 in dogs in North Carolina in 2020, the latest year for which data is available, according to the agency. Madeleine List is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter. He has been featured in the Cape Cod Times and the Providence Journal.
