AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Amarillo Animal Control officials are on the lookout for feral cats after a woman was bitten by a cat last week that tested positive for rabies.
Officials have placed traps in the area of North Pullman Road, where the rabid cat was later caught. Officials said the woman did not make the report in a timely manner and that could have resulted in more animals becoming infected. Since then, nine cats and kittens have been tested.
"If you see a stray animal or you're exposed to a stray animal or definitely if it breaks the skin, you need to contact Animal Control or the police department so we can start protocol and the follow-up," Amarillo Animal Control Assistant Director Shannon Barlow said. "Maybe we could prevent anybody having to take any post-exposure vaccinations. They're painful and they're expensive."
Barlow said the woman and some other people who were exposed to the cat were given post-exposure rabies vaccinations.
A foaming mouth and crazy behavior are the later signs of the virus, and Barlow pointed out it is sometimes hard to tell if an animal is in the early stages.
"The typical things that you see in animals are, especially with wild animals, they're typically nocturnal. They'll become very friendly and very active during the daytime hours."
The drought conditions the Panhandle is facing are partly to blame for the more and more rabies cases being seen in the 72 counties making up Region One.
"We've had a lot of wild animals move in to the city looking for water, looking for food," Barlow said. "That increases our exposure to our public and our community. So, you know, I would say it's number one on our list as far as prevention and monitoring."
Barlow added this case has raised concerns at Animal Control about the Trap-Neuter-Return Program some organizations in Amarillo are wanting to implement. With no way of knowing when the feral cats were last vaccinated, Barlow said it could be extremely dangerous to release them.
She recommended owners keep their pets' rabies vaccinations up-to-date. It could be what saves them when they come into contact with a rabid animal.
