Management of Cat Bite with Febrile and Lethargic Animal

Immediate Assessment and Action

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that a cat that has bitten a person should be immediately reported to local health authorities and confined for 10-day observation, with rabies immunoglobulin and vaccine administered to the person if the cat develops signs of rabies or cannot be observed 1, 2
The primary concern in managing a cat bite from a febrile and lethargic cat is rabies risk assessment, which changes the management approach from routine cat bite care 1, 2, 3

The cat must be confined and observed daily for 10 days by a veterinarian, with any illness during confinement reported immediately to the local health department 1, 2
If signs suggestive of rabies develop in the cat, it should be euthanized immediately and the head submitted for rabies testing 1, 2

Rabies PEP should be initiated immediately if the cat develops signs of rabies during observation, cannot be confined for observation, or dies or is euthanized during the observation period 1, 2

The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise against delaying reporting to public health authorities when dealing with a cat that has bitten someone and is showing signs of illness 1, 2
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that rabies vaccine should not be administered to the cat during the 10-day observation period, as it can confuse clinical signs of rabies with vaccine side effects 1, 2